Shoulders · Seated or Standing
Shoulder blade squeeze
Drawing the shoulder blades back and together, then letting go. It works the muscles between the shoulder blades that do little while you type.
- 8 squeezes, holding each for about 3 seconds
- Movement
How to do it
- Sit tall, away from the backrest, with your arms bent and relaxed by your sides.
- Draw your shoulder blades back and slightly down, as if trapping a pencil between them.
- Hold for about 3 seconds without shrugging, then relax.
- Repeat slowly.
How long
Eight squeezes of about 3 seconds each, around 40 seconds in all.
What you should feel
The muscles between your shoulder blades working. The neck should stay relaxed.
Stop if…
- Pain, numbness, tingling or pins and needles, or dizziness: stop and do not push through it.
Variations
- Standing. Stand tall with the arms relaxed and do the same squeeze.
- With the chest stretch. Open the arms wide as you squeeze, as in the seated chest opener.
Common mistakes
- Shrugging the shoulders up.
- Arching the lower back to fake the movement.
- Pushing the chin forward.
Use it in a routine
The stretch routine builder can play this with other shoulders stretches, with a countdown for each side and a chime at every change. The stretch break timer adds stretches like it to a break after each work interval.
It is part of this ready-made routine: Neck and shoulders, 5 minutes.
Sources
Written from published guidance by health services, physiotherapy and ergonomics bodies. Last reviewed .
- Evaluating your computer workstation (PDF), Oregon OSHA, via Oregon State University EHS
- Upper body stretches for the workplace (video), Mayo Clinic
- Standing stretches for the workplace (video), Mayo Clinic (general stretching guidance)
- Desk-based exercises, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (UK) (general stretching guidance)
- Stretching at the workstation (PDF), New Mexico State University Environmental Health and Safety (general stretching guidance)