Shoulder circles
Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.
Roll your shoulders in slow circles. It loosens the shoulders and upper back after sitting or reaching.
- Main focus
- Mobility
- Level
- Starting
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Load
- Your body weight
- Stability
- Supported by a seat, bench or wall
Before you start
- Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
- Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
- Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
- Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.
Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.
What you need
None. Sit or stand.
How to do it
- Let your arms hang loosely at your sides, or rest your hands in your lap if sitting.
- Slowly roll your shoulders forward, up, back and down in a big circle.
- After a few circles, reverse the direction.
How much
To start: 3 circles each direction.
As it gets easier: 5 circles each direction.
How it should feel: Loose and easy. Nothing should hurt.
Make it easier
- Make small circles.
Make it harder
- Make the circles larger and slower.
Safety
- Keep your neck relaxed.
- Move slowly. Do not force a bigger range.
When to stop
- Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
- Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
- Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
- Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
- After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
- You feel pinching or sharp pain in a shoulder.
- You hear or feel a catching that hurts.
Other ways to do this movement
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Where this comes from
NIA: flexibility means moving a joint through its range of motion; stretch gently and do not stretch so far that it hurts. Name and movement from the screened catalog entry; the text and counts are original and deliberately small.
- Three Types of Exercise Can Improve Your Health and Physical Ability, National Institute on Aging, NIH (Content reviewed Jan. 14, 2025).
This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.