Shoulder Stretch
This is a basic arm across the body stretch and while it looks simple to perform, it’s very easy to cheat and decrease the effectiveness of the stretch. It can be done either standing or sitting and one of the keys is to maintain good posture throughout the stretch.
This means, keep your back flat, shoulders down and relaxed, and keep both shoulders pointing forward (directly above your hips) throughout the stretch. Start the stretch by raising the arm you want to stretch and placing it across your body at a slightly downward angle.
The other arm is used to provide support and pull the arm to create the stretch. Take the hand of the non-stretching arm and grab the stretching arm just above the elbow. This position doesn’t have to be exact, but you don’t want to grab the stretching arm too far below the elbow (on the forearm), because this can increase elbow tension and prevent the shoulder from relaxing, decreasing the effectiveness of the stretch.
The other critical elements of this stretch are keeping your shoulders down and relaxed and not twisting your waist/torso during the stretch. Doing either of these things moves the shoulder away from the ideal stretching position.
Finally, the way you pull is important as well. This stretch works best when the arm is either pulled straight across the body or at slightly downward angle. The most common mistake I see is people pulling their arm up towards their head or above their other shoulder when stretching. This decreases the quality of the stretch and puts unwanted stress on the shoulder.
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