Our yoga pose of the week is a supine shoulder extension.
If you have tight shoulders from working hard in the gym, or even feel extra tightness in your chest and shoulders from sitting at a desk all day, this pose will help! It is beginner-friendly and can be done anywhere at any time.
The supine shoulder extension stretch helps to:
- Improve posture by stretching out the shoulders and chest
- Improve flexibility in the shoulders.
This means feeling better during your workouts, as well as in your daily life!
Directions:
- Find a comfortable surface to sit such as a carpet, towel, yoga mat, etc.
- Sit up tall with legs extended (can be bent or straight)
- Place your hands behind you, fingertips facing away from you and bring your hands as close together as you can
- Retract your shoulder blades by bringing your shoulders back and down
- Next, start to walk your hands farther back away from your torso, reach your shoulders closer and closer to the ground
- Lastly, to release from the pose, simply walk yourself back up slowly
Tips:
- You want to feel a gentle sensation, not pain. If you are feeling too much intensity, try walking your hands farther apart or bringing them a bit closer in towards your torso
- Also, if you have hyperextended elbows and feel too much pressure in them during this stretch, try bending your elbows slightly, or walking the hands a bit wider
