If you’ve got achy shoulders, we’ve got the solution: A quick Pilates-based mobility routine that’ll help your cranky joints move more smoothly—and strengthen the surrounding muscles at the same time.
The first installment of Sweat With SELF’s new Pilates series is all about upper-body mobility. Sina Riemann, a certified personal trainer and Pilates instructor based in New York City, takes you through a quick, 15-minute routine designed to help your shoulders ease into their full range of motion; loosen up tightness in surrounding areas like your chest, arms, and back; and strengthen the small, supporting muscles integral for proper posture. Tons of us deal with tension in these areas, but if you spend a lot of time hunched over a desk or scrolling through your phone, this kind of movement will feel particularly soothing.
After a quick warm-up including upper-body staples like shoulder circles and cat-cow, you’ll get into the full routine. While all the exercises are bodyweight-only, they’ll really challenge your muscles, thanks to some of the hallmarks of Pilates: small movements, pulses, and a longer time under tension. (Just try the aptly named serve-the-platter exercise—we guarantee your biceps, chest, and tops of your shoulders will feel it.)
Then you’ll start opening up your shoulders. One particularly great move? The dynamic chest expansion exercise: By holding your arms straight at your side and pressing them backward away from your body, you’ll mobilize your shoulder joints and work the muscles in your back, rear deltoids (super important for standing tall), and triceps. You’ll directly hit the front of your shoulders through the shoulder press, and immediately follow up with some back-of-the-body work. The bodyweight lat pull will fire up your lats (your largest back muscle) and rhomboids (back muscles important for shoulder stability), as well as get you more comfortable really squeezing your shoulder blades together—something that’ll help you lift more efficiently and safely in the gym.
Your shoulder mobility routine will end with a quick cooldown. We promise: The thread-the-needle stretch is hard to beat after an upper-body heavy workout.
Ready to get started? Grab a yoga mat, put your phone on silent, and start up the video below. (And go ahead, bookmark this for all the times your upper body is feeling cranky!)
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