Our shoulders are a complex group of joints and muscles, comprised of the bones that make up the vertebra of the neck, the scapula (or shoulder blade), the clavicle (collar bone), and the humerus (upper arm bone). There are 15 muscles that attach just to the scapula alone! It’s this very complexity that allows the shoulder to have the incredible variety and range of motion that it does. But it’s also that same complexity that makes the shoulder as vulnerable to injury and pain that it is.

With that in mind, here are five stretches that you can do in just a few minutes a day to decrease the tension that you hold in your shoulders.

First, take the arm across the chest and with the free arm, grab the upper arm or shoulder.  Inhale, and as your exhale, pull the arm across the chest, which stretches the shoulder, especially the rhomboids, between the shoulder blades.  Repeat this movement: inhaling and exhaling and pulling three to five times on each side several times a day, and you’ll notice that your shoulders feel more open and flexible.

Often, one side or the other is easier to get the hands together than the other.  This is perfectly normal, and just means that you need to work the less flexible side more often, but it is possible to achieve increased flexibility and range of motion.

A third stretch of the shoulders involves bringing both arms behind the back and clasping hands, as if one were handcuffed, shown in the next photo.  Inhale, and as you exhale, lift the arms toward the sky.  This stretches the subscapularis and the pectoralis minor in your upper chest.  And additional benefit is if you slowly roll your self forward while you do this to make your hands point to the sky, you can deepen and intensify the stretch.  Sometimes when you do this, you will feel a “pop” in your upper back/lower neck.  This is your cervical/thoracic junction (the vertebra that make up the last neck and first chest vertebra), re-aligning themselves.

Stretch number four is similar to the second stretch, except use your free arm to grab your elbow and inhale.  As you exhale, pull with your free arm, gently stretching the arm behind your head.  This stretches the teres minor, tricep brachii, and latissimus dorsi muscles.

And finally, stretch number five, inhale, and as you exhale, bring your shoulder up to your ears. Then the reverse, inhale, and as you exhale, push your shoulders down and try to grab the floor.

These stretches will help increase your shoulder flexibility and sense of relaxation.  Do them two or three times a day, and after a few days to a week, you’ll really notice the difference in the comfort of your shoulders.