An unloaded standing warm-up exercise for active shoulder mobility. Both extended arms move together through full circles in one direction, accompanied by natural movement of the shoulder blades.
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your arms extended low and slightly away from your sides.
Keep your trunk steady and your elbows comfortably straight as you raise both arms forward and upward together.
Continue the circle through the upper arc, then move your arms outward and backward as shown in the demonstration.
Guide both arms down through the side/back arc to the same low starting position without swinging your torso.
Repeat smoothly in the same direction within a comfortable range. One complete circle by both arms together counts as one repetition.
Move both arms together at an even pace and maintain the same direction throughout the set.
Allow your shoulder blades to move naturally with your arms instead of pinning them down or squeezing them together throughout the circle.
Keep your ribs and pelvis steady rather than leaning backward to make the upper arc larger.
Use a comfortable circle size with soft, extended elbows; do not force an end-range stretch.
Breathe naturally. Stop if the movement causes shoulder pain rather than pushing through it.
Shrugging or rolling only the shoulders while the arms remain beside the body.
Replacing the full arm circle with small circles held at shoulder height.
Bending and straightening the elbows to imitate a larger shoulder movement.
Swinging the torso or arching the lower back to force the arms farther overhead.
Rushing the circle, moving the arms out of sync, or forcing a painful range.
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