6 Yoga Poses for Shoulder Strength and Tension Relief

Shoulder pain is no stranger to many folks. It’s one of the most common areas to have chronic pain and tightness. These discomforts can affect anyone; young to old, and athletes to office workers alike. As frustrating as shoulder issues can be, keeping the area pain-free and mobile can be a quick and simple fix with a bit of movement maintenance. If you incorporate a few yoga poses into your daily routine and become mindful of your habits, you could be well on your way to healthy shoulders in no time. Seeking out sources like the Do Yoga blog is an excellent place to start.

Shoulder Discomfort

Different types of shoulder ailments have different causes, so it is important to seek out medical care if your pain is severe or persistent. Getting to the root of the issue is the surest way to healthy shoulders. If a serious injury is present, it’s possible that you could aggravate the issue rather than improve it by taking matters into your own hands. Be sure to check in with your healthcare provider if something feels off beyond regular tension and soreness.

Injuries aside, chronic shoulder pain usually simply arises from tightness or weakness in the many muscles that make up the shoulder area. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, and this unfortunately makes it highly susceptible to injury. The main muscles that make up the shoulder include the deltoids and the rotator cuff muscles, but the trapezius muscles, rhomboids, and latissimus dorsi all play an important role in shoulder movement as well. Making sure all of these muscles are both adequately flexible and strong is the secret to a healthy shoulder joint. Hypermobility without strength creates instability, and excessive strength with low mobility can lead to strained, tight muscles and poor posture habits. Finding a balance between the two is key.

Before examining how to fix shoulder pain, we need to understand how to avoid the causes. Prevention is always better than treatment so watch out for factors that could be contributing to your shoulder troubles. Below are the most common culprits to look out for.

What Could Be Contributing to Your Shoulder Tension?

• Bad Posture Habits
• Weak Core Muscles
• Sleeping Positions
• A Sedentary Lifestyle with Long Hours Sitting Down
• Poor Movement Patterns (how you drive, walk, exercise, etc.)
• Hunching Due to a Cold Environment
• Emotional Stress
• Tightness From Excessive Strength Training Without a Balance of Mobility Training

This list doesn’t include every potential cause of shoulder discomfort, so be sure to examine your own lifestyle carefully to originate the source. The best thing to do after this is to add some yoga poses to your routine to strengthen weak muscles, increase your range of motion, and ease tension. Here are 6 poses to start with.

Yoga Poses For Shoulder Pain Relief

Ear-to-Shoulder Pose

This simple stretch helps to ease stress in the neck and shoulders. Shoulder tension can travel up through the neck to impact the jaw and even cause headaches. This pose is a perfect remedy.

To do the pose, sit comfortably on a chair or on the floor with an upright tall spine. For a mild variation, place your hands on your lap and gently let your head tilt over towards one ear. To increase the stretch, reach your fingertips on the arm as opposed to the direction your head is tilting out and away from your body. Be sure to keep both shoulders heavy and avoid lifting them up towards the ears.

Puppy Pose

Puppy poses will not only stretch out the shoulders, but also the spine, upper back, and abdominal muscles. It’s excellent for releasing tension from long hours of sitting and can help to correct poor posture.

To get into the puppy pose, get onto your hands and knees (tabletop pose) on a firm yet comfortable surface. With the hips stacked over the knees, walk your hands forward until your forehead reaches the floor and the arms are extended forward shoulder distance apart. Let the spine sag and soften towards the floor. For a milder variation, place stacked palms underneath the forehead.

Eagle Arms

Eagle arms will help to open both the shoulders and upper back. This will provide relief from uncomfortable shoulder tension and stress.

You can practice this pose either sitting or standing. Simply lengthen the spine, reach both arms out to your sides, then wrap them towards the midline of the torso interlacing one over top of the other. You can rest the hands on opposite shoulders, or take the pose further by interlacing the forearms and reaching the palms towards one another.

Plank Pose

Plank pose will help to build strength in the muscles that support the shoulder joint which will help prevent injury. It’s also excellent for building core strength which contributes to good posture and less shoulder pain from slouching.

To do the plank pose, simply get onto your hands and knees and walk the hands forward until the hip joint is fully straightened. Hands should be directly under the shoulders. Keep the knees on the floor for support, or straighten the legs and form a strong erect line from the heels of the feet all the way through the length of the spine.

Cow Face Pose Variation

This yoga pose traditionally involves a full-body version that stretches the lower body and the upper body all at once, but this version is solely focused on the upper body. It will increase shoulder mobility and stretch the shoulder supporting latissimus dorsi muscles.

To do the pose, sit or stand with a tall spine and extend one arm overhead. Bend at the elbow to reach behind your head for the opposite shoulder. The other arm can grab onto the elbow of the working arm and gently guide it deeper into the stretch.

Sphinx Pose

The final yoga poses to incorporate into a healthy shoulder routine are strengthening for the upper back as well as being a great stretch for the shoulders, chest, and abdomen.

To do this pose, lay on your stomach and reach your legs straight along the floor behind you. Bring the elbows stacked under the shoulders with the forearms pointing straight ahead and the palms of the hands on the floor. You can gently pull the chest forward while keeping your abdomen on the floor to increase openness across the front of the shoulder.

Regularly using these yoga postures will help to ease stress from your mind and your shoulders. Be sure to incorporate deep breaths to help you relax as you do them. The lightness that comes with healthy shoulder strength and mobility will have you feeling brand new in no time.