How to do it
No equipment needed - just a bit of space.
Sit or stand tall with your arms relaxed by your sides and your shoulders dropped away from your ears.
- Gently draw your shoulder blades down and slightly together, as if sliding them into your back pockets.
- Hold the position lightly - this is a soft setting, not a hard squeeze.
- Relax back to the start.
Form cues
- The effort is small - around 10 percent. If you are straining, ease off.
- Your shoulders move down and back, not up towards your ears.
- Keep breathing normally throughout the hold.
Common mistakes
- Over-squeezing hard enough to create tension in the neck.
- Shrugging the shoulders up instead of setting them down and back.
- Arching the lower back to make the movement look bigger.
Safety: Stop and message your physio if this brings on pain down the arm, or new pins and needles or weakness in the hand.