The Simple 5-Minute Morning Yoga Routine You Desperately Need
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Do you have knots in your upper shoulder and back that make you wish you had a personal massage therapist on call?
There’s nothing worse than trying to get work done when you have a huge knot – or several knots – giving you tension headaches or upper back pain.
Most of us can’t afford a daily massage. But the good news is that you can do yoga shoulder stretches to break up the knots and release tension.
Before we get into the stretches, it’s a good idea to address the root cause of those knots.
You probably guessed the main culprits already: it’s all about bad posture – especially rounded shoulders – and also stress.
If you’re stuck sitting at a computer all day for work and you notice that your posture is being affected, you’ll want to work on un-rounding your shoulders. If that’s an issue for you, check out this post on how to fix rounded shoulders.
But if you’ve already got knots or you need an extra boost to get rid of them, check out these 13 yoga stretches for tight shoulders.
To get the most out of these stretches, try to let your body relax into them rather than forcing the stretch. And once you get into position, nold for 20 to 30 seconds
If you find you have several knots on the tops of your shoulders close to your neck, doing a simple neck stretch will offer some relief.
Performing the Neck Stretch
The upward-facing plank stretches the inner arm muscles and the front of the chest, addressing that forward slouch that can cause tension and knots in the shoulders.
It also has the benefit of strengthening the back muscles, which will ultimately work to pull your shoulders back into correct alignment.
Performing Upward-Facing Plank
This chest opener is great for lengthening your chest muscles, while at the same time breaking up muscle tension in the upper shoulders.
Performing the Chest Opener with Band
The saddle pose stretches the front of the chest and hip flexors – both of which will cause rounding and tension in the upper back if they’re stiff. It also provides a slight pressure on the upper back and shoulders, working to break up knots and tension.
Performing the Saddle Pose
Eagle pose offers a deep stretch for the entire shoulder and upper back area. It also involves a lower back stretch that requires a great deal of balance, so for now we’ll focus on just the upper body part of the pose.
Performing Eagle Pose
The Cow Face pose stretches the entire shoulder region, opens the chest, and works to break up muscle tension in the shoulders. (If you can’t quite clasp your fingertips together behind you back, you can use a strap to bridge the gap.)
Performing the Cow Face Pose
Threaded needle pose targets the entire shoulder and upper back region. It’s perfect for stretching and breaking apart stiff knots surrounding the shoulder blades.
Performing Threaded Needle Pose
Cat-Cow pose works to release tension in the back and shoulders, and makes a great addition to many of the other stretches listed here.
Performing Cat-Cow Pose
This pose provides a deep stretch for the shoulders, as well as the neck, allowing tension to release from both areas.
Performing Wide-Legged Forward Bend with Clasp
The shoulder band stretch is one of the simplest yoga stretches for shoulders you can do anywhere provided you have a yoga band.
Performing the Shoulder Band Stretch
Child’s pose provides a release for the shoulders and chest, reducing any knot-causing tension.
Performing Child’s Pose
Snake pose opens the chest and stretches the front of the shoulders. It helps guide the shoulders back into proper alignment, which may help prevent future knots from developing in the shoulders.
Performing Snake Pose
This pose simultaneously strengthens and stretches the entire back, while putting a gentle pressure on the shoulder to break up any tension.
Performing Bridge with Clasp
Don’t be afraid to perform several of these stretches in a row to really loosen things up.
You’ll start feeling looser and less tense in no time with regular practice. And if you can make some time every day to do a few of them, you’ll love the long-term benefits.
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Yuri Elkaim is one of the world’s most trusted health and fitness experts. A former pro soccer player turned NYT bestselling author of The All-Day Energy Diet and The All-Day Fat Burning Diet, his clear, science-backed advice has transformed the lives of more than 500,000 men and women and he’s on a mission to help 100 million people by 2040. Read his inspiring story, “From Soccer to Bed to No Hair on My Head” that started it all.