Mobility · Baseline Mobility
Behind-Back Shoulder Stretch
Anterior shoulder mobility, chest opening, posture correction
Minimum Effective Dose
40s
The shortest time that still creates real, measurable change. Hit the dose and the benefit starts. Everything after is bonus.
Why it works
Desk work rounds the shoulders forward, shortening the front of the shoulder capsule. This stretch reverses that pattern by opening the anterior shoulder while keeping the ribs down, which prevents the common compensation of arching the lower back.
How to do it
Chest opens. Ribs stay down.
Feel the front shoulder lengthen, not the low back arching. Ribs down.
- Clasp your hands behind your back
- Lift your arms away from your body
- Keep your ribs down, because the stretch should be in the front of the shoulder
- If you feel it in your lower back, you're arching too much
Variants
Easier
Hands wider.
Less stretch, more control. Ribs stay down.
Harder
Hands closer. Slow lift.
Feel the front of the shoulder open. Hold the top.
Related exercises
Pair with breathwork
Wind down after your session with a Shift breathwork protocol.