HOW: Lie on your side with the shoulder you want to stretch closest to the ground. You can put a pillow under your head for neck support if you want but it is not necessary. Bring your elbow to your side up to shoulder height. Using your bodyweight to pin your bottom shoulder down, slowly lift your elbow straight up with your opposite hand.

 

FEEL: You should feel a deep stretching sensation in back of your shoulder on the ground. You do not want to feel any pinching sensations or pain in the front of your shoulder.

 

COMPENSATION: If you are not feeling the stretch in the right area, try putting your elbow slightly higher than your shoulder. You can also try rotating your body backwards just a bit.

HOW: Start by lying on your side with your knees bent and raised to hip height. Clasp your hands on top of each other. Slowly reach your top hand forward as far as you can. Then, slowly pull your hands back, across your chest, and drop to the opposite side.

 

FEEL: You should feel a nice gentle stretch through your mid-back region. You may also feel a little pec stretch in the front of your shoulder.

 

COMPENSATION: Make sure to keep your knees high. If your knees are not high enough, you will not get the stretch in your mid-back region.

HOW: Get set-up standing with a wall in front of you and place your hands on the wall. Take a step back with the side you plan to stretch, let the knee be bent and keep it bent. While keeping the foot you stepped back with flat on the ground, knee bent, and toes facing 12 o’clock, slowly lean and shift your weight forward until you feel a stretch, hold that position for a moment, then return to starting position and repeat

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in the calf of the foot that is behind you, specifically lower in your calf above your ankle. You shouldn’t feel pain or a pinch in front of your ankle.

 

COMPENSATION: Be sure to keep your back foot facing 12 o’clock, do not let your foot turn out or in. Try to keep your heel down. Be sure to keep the knee bent

HOW: Get set-up in a table top position as shown in the video with a band around your back under your arms, then criss-cross the band in front of you and hold the ends of the band in each hand. While keeping your low back flat into the ground, lift your arms up overhead while keeping your arms and hands rotated out. With your arms in the overhead position, your thumbs should be facing down towards the ground. Slowly return to starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: You should feel your shoulder and shoulder blade muscles working in this exercise. You should feel your shoulder blades moving away from one another and ‘wrapping’ around your body towards your armpits. You should also feel your core muscles working to keep your lower body and legs still.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not arch your low back, do not flare your ribs, do not shrug your shoulders.

HOW: While standing, grab a kettlebell and hold it with your elbow straight up and out from your shoulder. Your arm should be bent up holding the weight. Maintain this position as you walk forward for the prescribed amount of time or distance. 

 

FEEL: You should feel your shoulder muscles working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t let your elbow fall below shoulder height. Don’t arch your back.

HOW: Begin with one knee bent on a bench.  The other leg should be up and straight out from your hip. The arm on the side of the leg on the bench should be holding a kettlebell.  The other arm on the side where the leg is kicked out behind you is placed on the bench with a slight bend in the elbow stabilizing your body. Engage your shoulder blade muscles and pull the kettlebell up acting like you are pinching a pencil in between your shoulder blade and your spine. Lower the kettlebell down and repeat as many times as prescribed. 

 

FEEL: With the leg kicking out you will feel the muscles on the back of the hip working, with the arm that is punching out you will feel the muscles on top of the shoulder and back of the shoulder blade working. You should feel the mid back muscles working as you row up.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid rotating the trunk, arching the back as you raise your leg and row up. Don’t shrug the shoulder as you raise the arm.

HOW: Start by lying on your side with your knees bent. Bend the top arm’s elbow to make a 90 degree bend or an “L” shape. Support your head with your other arm or a pillow. Hold a dumbbell with your palm facing your stomach. Rotate the arm up and out while keeping that “L” shape in your elbow.  Your thumb should be pointing up as the arm comes off of your stomach. Pretend there is a rod going from your shoulder through the bottom of your elbow and that rod has to stay still. Keep that elbow at your side as you rotate that arm up and back down to the starting position. 

 

FEEL: You should feel the muscles in the back of your shoulder and shoulder blade working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t let the elbow come up or back as you rotate the dumbbell up. Don’t lean back with your body, stay on your side.