Sit at a Desk All Day? Try These Tight Shoulder Fixes

Sit at a Desk All Day? Try These Tight Shoulder Fixes

You can’t help the fact that you sit all day for work. I mean, unless you work at some trendy Google office, chance are you don’t have access to a standing desk or those big core ball seat things.

Stress on top of a desk job plus sleeping like a weirdo, can mean daily shoulder discomfort.

You may already know the negative health effects of sitting day after day from this recent blog. But what does it mean for the health of your shoulders?

And even more importantly, is it possible for your shoulders (and neck and upper back) to actually feel better?


Check Out These 4 Simple drills to alleviate your discomfort!

When was the last time you noticed your breath? In a high-stress society, people tend to be “chest breathers”, meaning they breathe in the upper part of the chest rather than the belly (diaphragmatic breathing). This can lead to the shoulders living by the ears and the creation of more and more tension. But don’t panic, the first two drills are meant to help you learn how to breathe properly!


Crocodile Breathing

  1. This one’s simple. Start lying on your stomach with your forehead on the hand

  2. Breathe through the nose with the tongue behind the teeth and against the roof of the mouth.

  3. Expand your belly into the floor as you inhale and suck your belly toward the spine as you exhale.


Commando Breathing

  1. Start lying on your stomach with your forehead on the hands.

  2. Bring the same side arm and leg out to about a 90 degree angle, keeping the forehead resting on the other arm.

  3. Start to breathe deeply into the belly.

  4. Once you feel comfortable, try to get the breath around your sides and lower back.

  5. Switch sides and repeat. Compare how the shoulders feel from side to side.

After doing these breathing drills, try the next two for some tension-based relief. Make sure you’re breathing in each one and creating a comfortable amount of tension for you.

Half-Kneel Shoulder CARs

  1. Starting in the half-kneel position (one knee up, one knee down), reach your hand across to the outside of the up knee and press them into each other.

  2. Keep the down-side arm as straight as possible and the shoulder away from the ear.

  3. Make a giant circle starting close to the body, toward the ear, twist the hand at the top, reach the hand toward the opposite pants pocket and back to the start.

  4. Get a few circles then switch directions. This time, start with the thumb behind.

  5. Switch sides and feel the amazingness.


Quadruped Scap Push-Up

  1. Start in the quadruped position (on hands and knees). This can be done on the hands or forearms.

  2. Pull the ground up to you as you sink down into the shoulders.

  3. Push the ground away as the shoulder blades move back and down.

  4. Repeat until you feel awesome!


Keys to each of these moves is to find the appropriate breath or amount of tension to help relieve shoulder funk and pain. If you have pain, especially chronic neck problems, please make sure to see a trusted professional before trying these moves.

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