I spend 90% of my work day sitting at my desk, usually hunched over my laptop in deep concentration. I’ve been trying to improve my working from home environment by changing my posture, but I usually end the day with upper body tension and severe stiffness in my right shoulder.
One of the only things that can provide immediate relief is stretching. That’s why I was happy to see this mobility routine from a trainer. elizabeth king On Instagram. This is a 5-minute round shoulder correction session aimed at desk workers like me.
I decided to give it a try in the afternoon when I felt particularly stiff in my upper body.
How to do Elizabeth King’s 5-minute shoulder mobility routine
The routine has five moves, which King demonstrates on his Instagram Reels. Each stretch was completed for 1 minute without a break.
- Shoulder pass
- all over the world
- side bend
- Cobra stretch variations
- thread the needle/rotate the thoracic spine
The only equipment needed for the routine is a resistance band. I didn’t have one at home, so I rolled up a towel and used it.
If you’re like me and prefer a flexible routine without equipment, you can also do these yoga stretches for beginners to loosen up your entire body.
my verdict
I’ve tried a lot of shoulder stretches over the years, so I was excited to see some moves I’d never seen before. Resistance band exercises immediately relieved my stiff upper body joints. The Cobra variation was also new to me. I find that when I extend my arms in this pose, I stretch my shoulders more deeply.
When you grab a resistance band (in my case a towel), you have to keep your arms in the same position as you move your body. I find that this compromises my mobility and allows me to work my full range of motion reliably.
After just 5 minutes of doing these stretches, my shoulders felt better and I felt much more comfortable sitting at my desk. Even though I continued this habit, the pain in my shoulder did not go away completely. However, the hope is that repeating this routine will improve shoulder mobility and reduce stiffness in this area.
