Learn more shoulder stretches like this static cat stretch in the GB Online Courses!

Shoulder mobility is important for your health and fitness; Gymnastic Strength Training^TM using the GymnasticBodies Online Courses is a great way to begin incorporating effective shoulder exercises into your weekly workout or fitness routine. An important part of developing strong, healthy shoulders is making sure they are mobile. These 3 simple introductory shoulder exercises are an effective and fun way to begin immediately working on your shoulder mobility and provide insight into the GB Courses.

Kneeling Scapular Shrugs

The first exercise is kneeling scapular shrugs. To build a healthy, mobile shoulder girdle, you must develop control and awareness of your shoulder blades, otherwise known as your scapula. Your scapula is responsible for moving and stabilizing your arms at the shoulder joints and is crucial for your shoulder health. This first exercise will help you begin to develop your ability to bring your shoulder blades together (scapular retraction) as well as spread them apart (scapular protraction).

Begin by kneeling on the floor or a mat. Place your hands on the ground under your shoulders with your elbows straight. Now try pinching your shoulder blades together without bending your elbows. Next, reverse that movement and push your chest away from the floor; you should feel your shoulder blades move away from each other. Remember to keep your elbows straight as you repeat this for 10 reps. This exercise is used in the GB Online Courses to start developing strength and control for more advanced GST exercises like Straddle Planche and Press Handstands.

Discover exercises like this scapular drill in our Online Courses!  

Supine Shoulder Extension

The second exercise is supine shoulder extension. This stretch targets shoulder extension, which is one component of shoulder health most often overlooked, especially by the adult population. Simply put, shoulder extension is bringing your arms behind your body.

To begin this next exercise, sit down on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Now place your hands flat on the floor behind you and see if you can touch your pinkies together. If you are unable to do this, that means your shoulder extension needs a little attention.

Not to worry. Most adults are not at all comfortable in this position due to tight shoulders, pecs, and biceps. The GB Online Courses immediately begin developing shoulder extension mobility. Focusing on this area will make you less prone to shoulder injury and prepare you for some killer exercises like ag walks and even the adult manna!

Start improving your shoulder flexibility with stretches like this using the GB Stretch Courses.

Static Cat

The last exercise we will cover is static cat. Being able to bring your arms over your head, also known as shoulder flexion, demonstrates another component of shoulder health. This can be a difficult exercise due to tight shoulders and chest. The static cat stretch will help you to open your shoulders and gradually increase their range of motion.

Start by coming onto your hands and knees. Keeping your hips stacked on top of your knees, walk your hands forward and press your chest toward the ground until you until you feel a light stretch in your chest and shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds.

This is the first step to improving your shoulder flexion but you can find many more exercises and progressions in our Stretch Courses. With a solid foundation of strength and mobility in the shoulder joint, you’ll soon be working on the Thoracic Bridge and Handstand.

Key Points

1. Include these three basic shoulder mobility exercises into your fitness routine and you will be sure to see improvements in your shoulder health.
2. The GymnasticBodies Online Courses are full of shoulder mobility progressions designed to safely improve your joint health and range of motion.
3. Becoming proficient at these shoulder stretches will allow you to pursue more advanced and challenging shoulder exercises.

Incorporating these three shoulder mobilities from the GB Online Courses into your exercise routine is a practical way to improve range and motion in your shoulders and develop a healthier, more functional body.