Chair Yoga Shoulder Poses: Increase Mobility

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All About the Shoulders: Shoulder Exercises For Flexibility

The shoulder joint-we may not give it much thought until we have a problem with it. From arthritis to shoulder impingement- there are many issues that can arise with this joint. It is a highly mobile joint that gives us a great deal of functionality. This ball and socket joint gives us a great deal of mobility. However, unlike the hip joint, it has less stability. The muscles that keep it stable and that work to provide all that great range of motion are small in comparison to the large muscles of the glutes and hamstrings. Therefore, it is a good idea to make sure that we are giving our shoulders some attention. Keep reading if you are interested in some chair yoga shoulder exercises for flexibility.

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This can come in the form of ensuring that we are strengthening these muscles on a regular basis. We may not be doing this unless we are rehabbing and recovering from a shoulder specific injury. Be sure to see your healthcare provider if you are having issues or pain with your shoulders. A referral to a physical therapist may be in order. Small things can lead to bigger issues, and sometimes the solution is easy. If you don’t have any pain or issues with your shoulder, but are interested in strengthening them for better function, make sure to start slowly and ensure that you have proper form. Enlist the help of a trained exercise professional if needed.

It is also important that we are aware of our posture and our body mechanics. Have you ever reached for something and felt a strong pinch in the shoulder joint? Maybe it lingered, or maybe it went away quickly? As we age, our joint spaces get smaller and the tendons can become thicker from use over our lifetime. This creates less space in the joint and we can get an impingement. Take a look here to learn more. Or, take a look at this study that looks at shoulder symptoms and function in older adults.

Here is a simple tip to help decrease the chance of this happening. When reaching our arms out in front of us or away from the body, lead with the thumb facing up. This creates more space in the joint- which leads to less of a chance of an impingement. I always try to move in this way for any yoga poses for the shoulder that I incorporate.

Another way we can take care of our shoulders is by taking a look at our posture. Our posture has a significant impact on our shoulder mobility. If we are rounded through the upper back, our shoulders cannot move through their available range of motion. We can start to get pain from improper body mechanics and that pain may show up in many other places besides the shoulder joint. On the other hand, if we can work to maintain an upright posture with a long spine, our shoulder joint is much happier.

Of course, there are issues that are beyond our control and that cannot be fixed by simply sitting with better posture. There are many different types of adaptive equipment that can help. Take a look at Helpful Products for Seniors.  if you are interested in learning more about some simple tools to help with everyday tasks.

Chair yoga can help us become more aware of our posture, strengthen our core, and work on our shoulder mobility. Keep reading for 5 chair yoga shoulder exercises for flexibility and mobility. Be sure to go at your own pace and do what is right for you. Always stop immediately if you experience pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness.

5 Chair Yoga Shoulder Exercises For Flexibility And Mobility

Here are 5 chair yoga shoulder exercises for flexibility and mobility. For all of these poses or exercises, begin seated with a long spine. Place your feet firmly on the ground- sit back in the chair if you need to ( you may need to place yoga blocks or some books under your feet). Broaden through the chest and relax the muscles in the face and neck.

1.Shoulder Circles

A woman seated in a chair with her shoulder rolled forward for chair yoga exercise shoulder circles.

A woman seated in a chair with her shoulders back for chair yoga exercise shoulder circles.

This simple exercise helps to relieve tension in the shoulders, upper back, and neck and bring awareness to the posture. Think of drawing small circles in the air. Breathe evenly, don’t hold your breath as you bring the shoulders back. We can take another variation here as well by bending the elbows- we will get a stretch through the triceps here:

  • Begin seated with a long spine, arms are by your sides with palms facing the body
  • Inhale as you bring the shoulders forward (feel the stretch in the upper back) and then up
  • Exhale as you bring the shoulders back and then down (feel the stretch in the chest)
  • Repeat forward and up, back and down
  • Do not strain or over exaggerate the movement, move slowly and gently here
  • Repeat for a few breaths or as desired.

Optional- Bend the elbows and place the hands on the shoulders. Draw circles with the elbows as you lift the elbows toward the sky and then circle them back down.

A woman seated in a chair by a window with her hands on her shoulders for shoulder circle exercise.

A woman seated in a chair by a window her her hands on her shoulders for shoulder circles to the back.

2.Cactus Arms Flow

A woman seated in a chair with her arms extended out to the sides and palms facing forward for chair yoga exercise.

A woman seated in a chair to practice a shoulder exercise for flexibility, cactus pose, with her arms stretched out to the sides with elbow bent.

A women seated upright in a chair with palms and elbows together in the middle of the chest.

This is one of my favorite flows whenever I want to help reset my posture and breaths. It is such a good way to get in some shoulder range of motion that we will include it here. We get external rotation, abduction, and adduction here. We also open the chest and stretch the biceps.

  • Begin seated with a long spine with the hands by your sides, palms facing forward
  • Inhale to raise the arms to shoulder height
  • Exhale to bend the elbows
  • Inhale to open through the chest
  • Exhale to bring the palms and elbows together ( if they do not touch, that is okay)
  • Inhale to open the arms to the sides 
  • Exhale to straighten the elbows and return the arms to the sides
  • Repeat 2-3 times or as desired 

3.Bound Hand Shoulder Stretch

A woman seated in a chair with her hands clasped together behind her body for modified chair yoga pose, bound hands stretch.

A woman seated in a chair with her hands clasped together and extended behind her back for a shoulder exercise for flexibility, bound hand stretch char yoga pose.

This pose serves to stretch the front of the shoulder and the chest- you can modify it as needed.

  • Begin seated with a long spine with the arms by your sides, palms facing the body
  • Extend the arms behind the body and clasp your hands together
  • Stay there or, if it is right for you, inhale to reach the arms away from the body as shown
  • Stay here for 2-3 breaths as able
  • On an exhale, release the arms back towards the body
  • Repeat as desired

Modification- Eliminate reaching the arms away from the body and keep the clasped hands close to the body- you will still get a stretch in the front of the shoulder and chest. If that is too much, eliminate the clasping of the hands and simple extend the arms behind the body for Chest Expansion Pose.

4.Arm Across Shoulder Stretch

A woman seated in a chair with one arm stretched across her chest for arm across shoulder stretch.

This stretch serves to stretch the lateral and posterior aspect of the shoulder. Be sure to keep the muscles in the neck relaxed and the shoulders down.

  • Begin seated with a long spine
  • Bring one arm across the body and grasp above or below the elbow with the opposite hand
  • Stay here, or gently guide the arm across the body for a deeper stretch
  • Be sure to breathe evenly
  • Stay here for 2-3 breaths or as desired and then gently release the arm the side
  • Repeat on the other side

Modification- Clasp the opposite hand to the opposite elbow and gently move the arms side to side- as you keep the shoulders down. Arms can be lifted as shown or you may choose to keep the arms down

A woman seated in a chair and clasping opposite hand to opposite elbow as she stretches her shoulders.

5.Eagle Pose

A woman seated in a chair with her arms crossed at the elbows and lifted up towards the sky for chair yoga shoulder exercises for flexibility, eagle arms pose.

This can be a challenging pose, and there are many variations. You can start in your cactus arms with the palms and elbows together and gently lift the finger tips toward the sky, or try the following:

  • Begin seated with a long spine, arms are by your sides with the palms facing in 
  • Inhale to raise the arms up in front of the body
  • Exhale to cross one arm on top of the other at the elbows
  • Inhale to bend the elbows
  • Do what feels right here, you can keep the back of the hands touching, or rotate one hand or both hands so that the palms are touching (I have the backs of my hands touching)
  • Wherever you are, inhale and exhale as you lift the elbows up toward the sky 
  • Only do what is comfortable, do not force
  • Stay here for 2-3 breaths or as desired, and then gently release the arms back down by your sides

Modification-  Eliminate the crossing of the elbows or clasp the hands together at the center of the chest and lift the knuckles up towards the sky as comfortable.

A woman seated in a chair with her palms and elbows together at her chest and her elbows lifted for a modified chair yoga eagle pose.

I hope that you enjoyed these shoulder exercises for flexibility and mobility, do what is right for you and eliminate what does not work. Let me know what you think!

Want More?

Take a look at All About the Upper Body for more tips and upper body only poses.

You may also enjoy this short chair yoga sequence with a focus on the Upper Body.

Visit the Resources page for a printable version of these 5 shoulder stretches.

If you are new to chair yoga, check out Is Chair Yoga Right for You?

Take a look at the featured pose, Cactus Pose, for a more in depth description.

Take a look at Breathing for Better Mobility to learn more about the importance of the breath.

Or, try the 7 Days of Chair Yoga Challenge to add some movement to your day.

If you like to plan your daily activity and exercise, you may be interested in my Daily Planner Notebook.

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Namaste!

Disclaimer: The Peaceful Chair and thepeacefulchair.com strongly recommends that you consult with your physician before starting this or any exercise program.The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not to be used in place of medical advice or information from your healthcare provider. Neither The Peaceful Chair, the peacefulchair.com, nor any of its contributors shall be held liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information described and/or contained herein and assumes no responsibility for anyone’s use of the information contained in any links, videos, or any content on this website.