Shoulders, upper back and neck

Eagle Arms

Gently stretches the back of the shoulders and upper back.

How to do it

1. 1

   Sit or stand tall and reach both arms forward

   Shoulders down, arms out in front of you at about chest height.

2. 2

   Cross one arm over the other at the elbows

   One elbow sits into the crook of the other, then wrap the forearms and bring the palms towards each other.

3. 3

   Hug yourself instead if the hands do not meet

   Crossing your arms and holding the opposite shoulders gives the same broadening across the upper back without any wrapping.

4. 4

   Float the elbows a little and widen the back

   Lift the elbows only slightly and let the shoulder blades slide apart. Keeping the elbows low is the better choice if lifting them pulls anywhere.

5. 5

   Hold 30 to 60 seconds, then swap the cross

   Unwind slowly and repeat with the other arm on top, since the two sides feel quite different.

What to watch for

Shoulders climbing towards your ears cancels out the widening across your upper back. Keep the elbows lower than feels ambitious and let the shoulder blades do the moving.

Ways to adjust it

• Self-hug instead of full bind
• Lower elbows

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.