Shoulder Tension Relief: 10 Strengthening Exercises

From the time you wake up to when you go to bed, your shoulders are putting in *work.* Seriously. Think of the dozens of activities that are driven by these muscles (brushing your teeth, washing your hair, making breakfast, typing, driving, carrying groceries, practicing Plank and Downward Dog, and the list goes on).

As the most mobile joints in the body, the shoulders are also susceptible to injury on and off the yoga mat. Sometimes it’s not until you feel a strain, tweak, or otherwise unpleasant sensation that you realize just how much you rely on them—and how frustrating shoulder discomfort can be.

That’s why you need movements to help strengthen and stabilize the shoulders. Yoga for shoulder strength can help minimize discomfort, prevent future pain, and keep your shoulders living their best life.

10 Ways to Strengthen Your Shoulders

Practice any or all of these exercises to warm up your shoulder muscles, or at the end of a yoga practice or workout to wind them down.

You’ll need a yoga strap or belt and two blocks.

1. Reclined Shoulder Squeezes

These actions strengthen your shoulder muscles and even train them for bearing load in workouts, including Chaturanga.

How to:

1. Lie on your back with your legs bent and your feet flat on the mat. Draw your navel toward your spine.
2. Exhale as you reach your arms straight up toward the ceiling with your hands slightly closer than shoulder-width apart and palms facing each other. Round your shoulders and draw your chin toward your chest, lifting your head and shoulders off the mat as if you were doing a slow crunch.
3. Inhale as you lower your head and arms back to the mat with your elbows bent by your sides and your palms facing in. Press your elbows into the mat and squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other. Allow your chest to lift, arching your upper back away from the mat. Pause for a breath here, then release. Repeat 5-10 times.

2. “Give and Receive” the Block

Pressing your hands into a yoga block contracts and strengthens your shoulder muscles, which can help improve your posture.

How to:

1. Sit tall in a cross-legged position or oin a chair. Squeeze a block on its widest setting between both hands, then straighten your arms in front of your chest.
2. Exhale and bend your elbows, pulling the block toward your lower belly and keeping your elbows tight at your sides as you would in Chaturanga.
3. Inhale and raise the block overhead and toward the wall behind you. Keep squeezing your elbows toward each other so your forearms are parallel. Exhale and lower the block toward your belly.
4. Inhale and reach your arms straight in front of your chest, continuing to squeeze the block between your hands. Exhale and lower the block toward your belly. Repeat 5-10 times.

3. Seated Side Stretch

Exploring the range of motion in your shoulders in this Side Stretch is an effective way to prepare for poses such as Downward Dog and even Handstand.

How to:

1. Sit cross-legged on the mat. Inhale and reach both arms overhead. Exhale and lower your left hand to the mat about 12 inches outside your left hip. Extend your right arm overhead and reach toward the left.
2. Inhale and draw your right shoulder slightly toward the back wall, twist your torso to the right, and turn your gaze to your right hand with your arm still overhead. If it’s comfortable, reach your right arm toward the wall behind you.
3. Exhale and draw your right arm next to your right ear as you twist to the left. Look down at the mat. Repeat 5-10 times, then switch sides.

4. Yoga Rows

Using a strap to create resistance helps activate your shoulders the same way you would in Mountain Pose or Warrior 1, or even if you’re simply working on better posture.

How to:

1. Sit in a chair or cross-legged on the mat. Exhale as you straighten both arms in front of your chest with your palms facing down. Your upper back may round slightly.
2. Exhale and draw your elbows toward your rib cage, keeping your forearms and elbows level. Squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other as you draw your navel toward your spine. If it’s comfortable, lift your chin and gaze toward the ceiling. Repeat 5-10 times.

5. Strap Pull

Pulling on a yoga strap helps strengthen the back of the shoulders, which tend to be weak as a result of poor posture. Practice this movement seated or in a standing pose like Warrior 2.

How to:

1. Sitting or standing, hold a yoga strap between your hands. Straighten your arms in front of your chest and take your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Pull against the strap as if you could stretch it longer. Think of pulling with the upper back and shoulder muscles. Keep your wrists straight and your grip light. Stay here or keep pulling the strap and slowly raise your arms overhead. Then lower them back to chest-height.
3. Lift your right hand higher and your left hand lower so the strap is at an angle. Take a breath here. Then switch sides. Repeat 5-10 times.

6. Cat-Cow

Moving between front and back body stretches helps mobilize the shoulder joints and release tension in the surrounding muscles, including the chest and upper back.

How to:

1. Come to your hands and knees with your hands on the mat or blocks.
2. Inhale as you arch your back, lift your gaze toward the wall in front of you, and draw your shoulders away from your ears in Cow Pose.
3. Exhale as you press your hands into the mat, lower your chin toward your chest, and draw your navel toward your spine in Cat Pose. Repeat 5-6 times.

7. Child’s Pose With Blocks

Adjusting the height of the blocks in Child’s Pose varies the intensity of the chest stretch. If you feel any discomfort, lower the height of the blocks or remove them completely.

How to:

1. Come to hands and knees with your hands on blocks. Sink your hips toward your heels, lower your forehead and chest toward the mat, and straighten your arms in Child’s Pose. Bend your elbows on the blocks and press your hands together in prayer position (anjali mudra) overhead. Stay here for 3-5 breaths.

8. Warrior 2 to Extended Side Angle With Blocks

Simply holding a block in each hand while practicing Warrior 2 can help build strength in your arms and shoulders. Transitioning into Extended Side Angle with the blocks activates the latissimus dorsi (the widest back muscle), which translates to stronger shoulders and better posture.

How to:

1. Hold a block on its narrowest setting in each hand. Come into Warrior 2 with your left leg forward. Draw your shoulders away from your ears and keep your wrists straight. Take a few breaths here.
2. Lower your right arm and press the block against the back of your right thigh. Inhale and reach your left arm overhead, coming into a slight backbend in Reverse Warrior. Stay here for 3-5 breaths.
3. Lower your left arm toward the floor, and press the block against the mat in front of your left foot. Reach your right arm overhead in Extended Side Angle Pose. Stay here for 3-5 breaths. Repeat Warrior 2 and Extended Side Angle on the other side.

9. Strap Pull in Triangle Pose

Pulling against the strap not only activates your shoulders and upper back muscles, but it can help you feel steadier in Triangle Pose when you practice without it.

How to:

1. Come into Warrior 2. Hold your strap lightly in both hands with your palms facing down and your arms in a T shape.
2. Straighten your front leg and raise your arms overhead, pulling on the strap. Lift your chest, draw your shoulders away from your ears, and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Slowly lower your torso over your front leg as you reach your top hand toward the ceiling and your bottom hand to the mat or a block in front of your front foot. Keep tension in the strap. Gaze straight ahead or toward the ceiling. Stay here for 3-5 breaths. Switch sides.

10. Fish Pose With Blocks

A crowd favorite for stretching tight chest and shoulder muscles? Supported Fish Pose.

How to:

1. Place one yoga block lengthwise on its lowest height along the center of the mat. Have a second block within reach.
2. Lie down so the block is between your shoulder blades. Bend your knees with your feet flat on the mat. Allow your head to release back or place the second block underneath your head for support. Straighten your arms to the sides in a T shape. Stay here for 10-15 breaths.