Shoulder Rolls

Slow shoulder circles, up, back and down, to loosen stiff shoulders. 5 each way.

04 / 14Seated figure with circular arrows beside both shoulders
The dark figure shows the position; orange dotted arrows show which way to move. Front-view pictures work like a mirror: copy them as if they were your reflection.

How to do it

  1. Rest your hands on your thighs.
  2. Lift your shoulders up toward your ears.
  3. Roll them back and down.
  4. Make slow circles, then reverse.

How many 5 circles each way

Gentler version

Make the circles smaller.

Who should skip this or take care

Move only in a comfortable range, and stop if anything hurts.

Read the safety check if you have a heart, bone or joint condition.

Common mistake

Rushing. Big, slow circles do more than fast small ones.

The chair yoga chart

  1. 01Belly Breathing5 slow breaths
  2. 02Seated Mountain PoseHold for 30 seconds
  3. 03Seated Neck Stretch3 times each side
  4. 04Shoulder Rolls5 circles each way
  5. 05Seated Cat–Cow6 rounds
  6. 06Seated Side Stretch3 times each side, hold 2 breaths
  7. 07Seated Spinal Twist2 times each side, hold 3 breaths
  8. 08Self-Hug StretchHold 3 breaths, twice
  9. 09Wrist and Finger Exercises5 circles each way, 5 open-and-close
  10. 10Seated March30–60 seconds
  11. 11Seated Ankle Exercises10 rocks
  12. 12Seated Leg Lifts8 times each leg
  13. 13Seated Figure-4 StretchHold 3 breaths each side
  14. 14Seated Hamstring StretchHold 3 breaths each side

More for neck and shoulders

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