Try these shoulder exercises today
What's the story
Yoga is all about flexibility, strength, and alignment.
Not many know that proper shoulder alignment is important to execute the poses effectively and safely.
By strengthening your shoulders, you can take your yoga practice a notch higher by improving your posture and preventing injuries.
Here are five exercises focusing on building shoulder strength and stability to help you achieve better alignment in your yoga poses.
Warm-up
Shoulder circles for flexibility
Shoulder circles are a simple but effective exercise to increase flexibility and warm up the shoulder joints.
Stand with feet hip-width apart, extend out your arms out to the sides, and make small circles with your hands.
Gradually increase the size of the circles while maintaining control.
Do this exercise for about one minute in each direction to ensure both shoulders are equally warmed up.
Core engagement
Plank pose for stability
The plank pose is amazing for building core strength while also working the shoulders.
Start in a push-up position with hands directly under shoulders, keeping head to heels straight.
Hold the position while making sure that your shoulders stay stable and aligned over your wrists.
Try holding the plank pose for 30 seconds to one minute.
Flexibility boost
Downward dog stretch
Downward dog is a staple yoga pose that stretches and strengthens the shoulders at the same time.
Start on all fours, tuck toes under, lift hips towards ceiling, forming an inverted V shape with body.
Press through palms while drawing shoulder blades down back to maintain proper alignment.
Hold this stretch for several breaths.
Strength building
Arm raises with resistance bands
Using resistance bands can be an effective way to build shoulder strength without lifting heavy weights.
Stand on the band with feet hip-width apart, holding handles at sides with palms facing forward.
Raise your arms straight out in front until shoulder height, and slowly lower them back down.
Repeat this movement 10-15 times per set.
Alignment focus
Wall angels for posture improvement
Wall angels correct our posture by aligning the shoulders properly.
Stand with your back against the wall, feet a little ahead.
Press your lower back, head, and upper back against the wall.
Raise your arms to create right angles at the elbows, and slide them up without losing the contact or arching your back.
Repeat this 10 times, concentrating on smooth movements through your range of motion.