Let’s be honest, warming up your shoulders is not the most exciting part of your workout routine. Swinging your arms draws more attention in the gym than hopping on the treadmill to raise your heart rate, which might explain why many of us skip this crucial step. However, making time for a dedicated shoulder warm-up can dramatically improve your exercise performance. It’s also one of the best ways to protect your shoulders from injury.
Do you need to warm up your shoulders?
Yes, but don’t just take our word for it. “The shoulder is a complex structure. For stability, it relies heavily on the surrounding muscles and tendons. This dynamic stability allows for its wide range of motion, but it makes it more susceptible to injuries such as dislocations, strains and impingements,” says Florence Penny, a physiotherapist and the founder of Flow Physio London. Warm-up exercises make the shoulder joint more resilient to the demands of physical exercise by increasing the temperature and pliability of surrounding muscles and tendons. They’re particularly important for injury prevention in heavy weightlifting, competitive swimming and any sport that puts strain on this fragile joint.
If you’ve ever had a shoulder injury, you will know how frustrating it can be. “Any shoulder injury is painful, mainly because we use our shoulders far more often than we think,” says Katie Knapton, a physiotherapist and the founder of PhysioFast Online. “They’re essential for daily functioning. Shoulder injuries also tend to disturb sleep, because many people sleep on their sides. Shoulder injuries can also take a long time to heal. For example, if you’ve had a significant rotator cuff injury, it will probably take three months to really get back to normal.”
How should you warm up for shoulder exercises?
A well-rounded shoulder warm-up routine should feature dynamic stretches—simple exercises that take your joints through a wide range of motion—which can increase blood flow to the surrounding muscles, reduce tendon stiffness and increase your power output, according to a 2018 review in the journal Sports Medicine. They’re also a superior warm-up to static stretches. In fact, pre-workout static stretches can hinder your performance and put you at risk of injury, the review authors noted.
The dynamic stretches should cover all planes of movement: forward and backward flexion, adduction and abduction (raising your arms to the sides and lowering them back down), as well as internal and external rotation. Ideally, exercises should also take into account individual muscular imbalances and weaknesses. “[In many people], the upper trapezius and pectoralis major tend to be dominant, while the lower trapezius and rotator cuff muscles tend to be underdeveloped,” says Penny. As such, it’s always a good idea to combine shoulder warm-up exercises with upper back and chest movements.
Dynamic stretches should be energetic enough to raise your heart rate and boost blood flow to the muscles, yet not so forceful that they are entirely driven by momentum. The purpose of warming up is not to exhaust the muscle, but to activate it. In fact, ballistic stretching can do more harm than good. Studies have shown that aggressive movement such as this can increase your chances of muscle tears and tendon strains rather than alleviate them, according to a 2018 review published in Sports Medicine.
Shoulder Warm-Up Exercises
This eight-move routine uses dynamic stretches covering all planes of motion. It’s a good option for beginners, people with poor posture and those recovering from injuries when preparing to do shoulder workouts, routines that feature shoulder exercises, and upper-body workouts in general. Just remember to use light weights. It doesn’t take a lot of tension to increase your mobility and “wake up” your shoulder muscles. If you feel weighted dynamic stretches are not enough to prepare your body for a heavy workout session, consider adding more complex shoulder mobility exercises.
1 Standing straight-arm circles
Equipment:
- Beginner / intermediate: none
- Advanced: light dumbbells
How: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise and extend your arms to the sides so they’re parallel with the floor. Keeping your back straight and core engaged, move your arms in a small circular motion. Make sure the movement comes from your shoulders, and that your body does not sway or tilt to the sides. As your joints are warming up, gradually progress to larger circles. Complete at least 15 reps, then switch directions. Perform another 15 reps backward.
2 Standing shoulder rolls
Equipment: none
How: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight and core engaged, shrug your shoulders. Make sure that you’re not tensing your neck muscles, pushing your head forward or hunching your back. Then squeeze your shoulder blades together and roll your shoulders back down. Complete at least 15 reps, then switch directions. Perform another 15 reps backward.
3 Shoulder swing (lateral)
Equipment:
- Beginner / intermediate: none
- Advanced: light dumbbells
How: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise and extend your arms to the sides. Keeping your arms straight, cross them in front of you, and then rapidly bring them back to the starting position. Keep your core engaged throughout the movement to make sure you don’t give in to momentum and sway to the sides. Complete at least 15 reps.
4 Shoulder swing (back and forth)
Equipment:
- Beginner / intermediate: none
- Advanced: light dumbbells
How: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise and extend your arms in front of you. Keeping your arms straight, gently swing them back, and then rapidly bring them back to the starting position. Keep your core engaged throughout the movement to make sure you don’t give in to momentum and sway back and forth. Complete at least 15 reps.
5 Shoulder corkscrew
Equipment:
- Beginner / intermediate: none
- Advanced: light dumbbells
How: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise and extend your arms to the sides so they’re parallel to the floor. Keeping your back straight and core engaged, begin by slowly twisting the arms inwards and outwards. Make sure that you drive the movement from your shoulders, and that your body does not sway or tilt to the side. Complete at least 15 inward and 15 outward twists.
6 Band pull-apart
Equipment: Long resistance band
How: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Holding one end of a light resistance band in each hand, raise and extend your arms in front of you. Keeping your arms straight, squeeze your shoulder blades and move your arms to the sides. Once your upper body forms a letter T, hold the position for a second or two, and then return to the starting position under control. Make sure you move in a slow, controlled manner, without yanking the band or swaying back and forth. Complete at least 15 reps.
7 Banded face pull
Equipment: Long resistance band / cable machine
How: Attach a light resistance band to an anchor point located at or slightly above your eye level (or attach a triceps rope to a cable machine and select a very light weight). Facing the anchor point, hold the band in both hands and move a few steps away to ensure sufficient tension. Keeping your back straight and core engaged, begin by squeezing your shoulder blades and pulling the band towards your face. Your elbows should naturally flare to the sides. Once the band gets close to your face, hold the position for a second or two, and then slowly return to the starting position. Don’t yank the band, hunch your back or let your body sway to the sides. Complete at least 15 reps.
8 Banded overhead reach
Equipment: Mini loop resistance band
How: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Wrap a light mini loop resistance band around your wrists, then raise and extend your arms in front of you. Make sure your arms are separated so you can maintain slight tension in the band throughout the movement. Keeping your back straight and core engaged, raise your arms straight up overhead. Slowly return to the starting position.
