9 Shoulder Strengthening Exercises Recommended by Physical Therapists

Whether you’re reaching up on a high shelf to grab a dish, getting laundry out of the dryer, or washing your hair in the shower, your shoulder muscles are hard at work. But when these muscles aren’t strong, performing basic activities can become more difficult, even causing pain with movement. 

Shoulder strengthening exercises can help ensure your shoulder’s comfort with everyday movements and activities, prevent pain from an existing condition, or stave off new pain from a  shoulder injury. “We put a lot of strain on our shoulders, so we want to make sure they are supported,” says Samantha Stewart, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. 

Read on to learn about shoulder strengthening exercises recommended by our Hinge Health physical therapists.

Interested in getting a personalized exercise therapy plan? Learn more about Hinge Health’s digital physical therapy program and see if you’re eligible.

9 Shoulder Strengthening Exercises to Try

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This exercise activates the muscles in your shoulders along with the supporting muscles that attach from your shoulder blades and upper back. For that reason, Dr. Stewart says rows can help with overall strength and support better posture throughout the day (which can, in turn, prevent upper back pain).

How to do it: 

• Stand tall with your feet about hip width apart.

• Hinge at your hips to bring your chest forward with your back flat and at a 45-degree angle to the floor. 

• Bend your elbows to bring your hands toward your ribcage, keeping your elbows close to your sides of body as you move. Squeeze the muscles between your shoulder blades. 

Get more information on how to do a bent over row. 

Push ups are a versatile exercise: You can do them on the floor or standing up leaning on a wall or table. No matter which starting position you choose, this shoulder strengthening exercise helps support shoulder stability to make reaching movements more effective, says Dr. Stewart. 

How to do it: 

• Stand with your hands placed on a wall at about chest height. Keep your arms straight, and your feet a few steps away from the wall. 

• Bend through your arms to slowly move your chest toward the wall. 

• Stop when your head and chest get close to the wall. 

• Push through your hands to straighten your arms and return to the starting position. 

Get more information on how to do a wall push up. 

This exercise works primarily on the smaller stabilizing muscles of the shoulder, strengthening them so they can better support your shoulder through different movements. You can do one of the positions if you’re just starting an exercise routine and then work your way up to all three.

How to do it: 

• Start in a standing position and hinge at your hips to bend your chest toward the floor. Avoid rounding your spine. 

• Move your arms toward the ceiling into an “I” position while keeping them straight. Your upper arms should be close to your ears as you hold this pose. 

• Relax back to the starting position, then lift your arms toward the ceiling at an angle into a “Y” position. 

• Return to the starting position, then lift your arms out to your sides into a “T” position. Focus on squeezing your upper back muscles as you hold this pose. 

• Relax your arms back to the starting position.

As you lift your arms away from the ground against gravity, you’ll work all the small stabilizing muscles in your shoulders along with the postural muscles in your upper back. 

How to do it:  

• Lie face down with your arms and legs extended, and your forehead resting on the ground.

• Slowly lift your arms, chest, and legs toward the ceiling as high as you comfortably can.

• Hold this position, gazing at the floor to keep your neck in a neutral position.

• Relax your body back to the starting position.

Get more information on how to do a superman. 

This exercise isolates the rotator cuff, the small group of muscles that help stabilize your shoulder. Strengthening these supportive muscles helps whenever you need to reach and rotate your shoulder, such as reaching back into a carseat or zipping up the back of a dress.

How to do it: 

• Secure a resistance band by opening a door, wrapping the band around the handle on the other side, then closing the door. Stand inside the closed door so it opens away from you. 

• Take a few steps away from the door with the ends of the band in one hand. 

• Raise your arm out to your side, so your elbow and hand are in line with your shoulder.  

• Bend your elbow to 90 degrees and, keeping your elbow in the same position, raise your hand up toward the ceiling to stretch the band. 

• Return your hand to the starting position. 

This is another way to isolate your rotator cuff muscles. External shoulder rotation is similar to the internal exercise but focuses on pulling the band away from you.

How to do it: 

• Secure a resistance band by opening a door, wrapping the band around the handle on the other side, then closing the door. Stand inside the closed door so it opens away from you. 

• Take a few steps away from the door with the ends of the band in one hand, and turn so your back is to the door. 

• Raise your arm out to the side with your elbow in line with your shoulder and bend your elbow to 90 degrees so your hand is raised toward the ceiling. 

• Keeping your elbow in the same position, lower your hand toward the floor. Stop when your hand is level with your elbow. 

• Return your hand to the starting position. 

As you bring your arm straight up in front of your body, you’ll strengthen all the muscles needed to support shoulder mobility without relying on your neck muscles for help.

How to do it: 

• Stand with your arms at your sides. 

• Raise your arm up in front of your body and toward the ceiling while keeping your arm straight. Hold at the top. 

• Return your arm back to your side. 

Get more information on how to do a forward shoulder raise. 

When you lift your arms out to the sides in this exercise, you’re not only working on your rotator cuff muscles, but also the deltoids, which are the large muscles that hang over the top sides of your shoulders. “This can help with everyday movements that involve lifting your arms up and away from your body,” says Dr. Stewart. 

How to do it: 

• Sit up tall with your arms by your sides. 

• Lift your arms out to your sides to about shoulder height while keeping your elbows extended. 

• Lower your arms back to your sides.

This move builds strength and mobility across your shoulder blades for easier functional arm movements, says Dr. Stewart. 

How to do it: 

• Stand with your arms at your sides and elbows bent to 90 degrees. 

• Lift your shoulders up toward your ears and hold. 

• Lower your shoulders, then move your shoulders and elbows forward, rounding through your upper back

• Relax back to the starting position, then move your shoulders and elbows down toward the floor

• Return to the starting position again, then squeeze your shoulders and elbows backwards. 

Get more information on how to do scapular clocks.  

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

Benefits of Shoulder Strengthening Exercises 

Shoulder strengthening exercises can help support you as you move in different directions and with functional movement patterns, says Dr. Stewart. This can aid in preventing injury to your shoulders and the surrounding areas. “If your shoulders aren’t strong, other muscles need to work harder to support you, which can lead to strain and irritation,” says Dr. Stewart. Strong muscles around your shoulders can also help you maintain a healthy posture throughout the day, another way to prevent shoulder, neck, and upper back pain. 

Strengthening your shoulders can also help manage existing shoulder pain, whether from shoulder osteoarthritis or another condition. “With any diagnosis, we want to make sure all the supportive muscles are set up for success to help you through your healing,” says Dr. Stewart. As you strengthen your shoulder muscles, they’ll be better equipped to support your shoulder joints, which makes movement — and exercise — more comfortable. 

How Hinge Health Can Help You

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program.

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, when and where it works for you.

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you.

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References

1. Athwal, G. S. & Wiater, J. M. (2021, March). Arthritis of the Shoulder. OrthoInfo — American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/arthritis-of-the-shoulder 

2. Lowe, R. (2012). Therapeutic Exercise for the Shoulder. Physiopedia. https://www.physio-pedia.com/Therapeutic_Exercise_for_the_Shoulder 

3. Ourieff, J., & Amit Agarwal. (2018, December 6). Anatomy, Back, Trapezius. National Institute of Health. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK518994/ 

4. Pieters, L., Lewis, J., Kuppens, K., Jochems, J., Bruijstens, T., Joossens, L., & Struyf, F. (2020). An Update of Systematic Reviews Examining the Effectiveness of Conservative Physical Therapy Interventions for Subacromial Shoulder Pain. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 50(3), 131–141. doi:10.2519/jospt.2020.8498