Today we focus on postures that increase the range of movement of your shoulders. As your flexibility improves and your movement increases, you will feel lighter on your shoulders and feel them moving backwards. Remember to hold the postures for some time as the longer you hold them, the more results you will get.
Caution: Those with cervical problems should practice the following exercises with care. Those with severe back and shoulder conditions, should avoid exercise three.
Exercise 1
• Lie on your stomach, your legs straight, your feet together, your soles pointing upward and your forehead on the floor
• Place your palms below and to side of the shoulders, your elbows tucked in close to the body
• Inhale, slowly raise your head and upper body, straighten your arms and curve your back backward to maximum as shown
• Hold, breathing normally
• Exhale as you slowly come down to start position.
Exercise 2
• Lie flat on your stomach, your legs together, your arms beside the body, your chin on the floor
• Bend both your knees
• Reach for your toes or ankles and grip them firmly
• Inhale and raise your upper body while tensing the leg muscles and pushing your feet backwards
• Hold for 10-20 seconds
• Exhale and slowly release the legs and come down.
Exercise 3
• Stand on your knees, keeping them a little apart, your feet stretched out
• Lean back; catch hold of your right heel with your right hand
• Take your left arm back over your head, push the abdomen forward, drop the head back and arch backward as far as you can
• Hold as long as comfortable, breathe normally
• Slowly raise your head, bring your arm forward, come up, release your right hand and resume starting position
• Repeat with the other side.
Exercise 4
• Go down on your hands and knees, your hands placed below the shoulders, your feet together
• Inhale, exhale and slowly drop your head down and arch the back as shown
• Hold for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally
• Inhale as you raise the head and lower back to the start position.
