It can break our spirit when we can’t raise the roof like we used to!
Our shoulders work with our upper back, ribs, and shoulder blades to help us get our arms where we want them to go. If one area is tight or not contributing much, it can make raising our arms above our heads harder than it needs to be.
If reaching overhead felt uncomfortable or restricted, I wouldn’t automatically force my arms higher. I’d first give the muscles around my shoulder and upper back some room to move, then build some strength and control around that movement.
Here are 3 exercises I would try for better overhead movement:
10 reps
First, let’s give the muscles along the side of my back and around our shoulder some room to move.
The lats connect our upper arm to our back and can influence how our shoulder moves when we reach overhead. So before we ask our shoulder to reach higher, let’s see what happens when we give that area a little attention.
Try this:
Don’t force yourself into a huge stretch. We’re looking for comfortable movement and a little more room
10 reps
Now that we’ve given our upper body some space to move, let’s give our shoulder blades a chance to do some work.
Our shoulder blades need to move with our arms when we reach overhead. Wall slides give us a simple way to practice that movement while keeping things controlled.
Try this:
Your arms don’t have to reach the top of the wall. Controlled movement is more important than how high you get.
10 reps
Now let’s practice the movement I actually want to get better at: reaching overhead.
We don’t want to spend all our time stretching and strengthening without giving our bodies a chance to use that movement.
Try this:
Reach as high as you comfortably can. You don’t need to force the last few inches.
If reaching overhead felt stiff or restricted, I’d try:
RELAX → STRENGTHEN → MOVE
Try at least 1-3 sets of this. Repeat it once a day until you notice a difference. Then, maintain that range by doing this at least once a week.
Let me know in the comment section!
More mobility isn’t always about stretching harder.
Give your body some room to move. Then build strength and control around that movement.
Take your time. Breathe. Don’t force it.
Consistency beats doing a ton once and never doing it again.
This isn’t a quick fix. If your movement has gradually become more limited, give yourself some time to work on it consistently.
Pain and restricted movement can have many different causes.
If your pain is severe, persistent, getting worse, follows an injury, or comes with other concerning symptoms, it’s worth getting evaluated by a medical professional rather than trying to work your way through it.
