8 Deltoid Stretches to Improve Flexibility & Prevent Shoulder Injury

If you feel that your shoulders are always painful and stiff, along with limited arm mobility, then you're not alone, because these are problems that many of us experience.

Whether you don't use your shoulders a lot, you have bad posture, or you do a lot of activities that strain your shoulders, these can all cause your shoulders to become stiff and painful.

With that being said, in many cases, there are various stretches and exercises you can do to regain your full range of motion in your shoulder and to ease up on some of that pain. 

First, you should always rest your shoulder until it feels decent, but you can also incorporate a variety of stretching exercises to help speed up the process.

Today, we're going to show you a variety of stretches to help increase shoulder mobility and strength.

 

The Anatomy of the Shoulders – The Deltoids

Before discussing shoulder stretches, you need to understand what muscles your shoulders consist of.

What we're talking about here are your deltoids, specifically all three components, the middle or medial deltoids, the posterior, and the anterior deltoids.

The posterior deltoids are those located on the rear of your shoulder, whereas the anterior deltoids are located on the front.

These three muscles all work together to help you lift your arm above your head. The middle and posterior deltoid are mainly there to help stabilize your shoulder joint, whereas your anterior deltoid does most of the lifting.

However, all three muscles need to be exercised and stretched out regularly, and that's exactly what we're going to talk about today.

Stretching your shoulders is important for many different reasons, including decreasing stiffness and pain, improving your range of motion, increasing blood flow to the area, preventing injuries, strengthening your muscles, and improving overall athletic performance.

Related Post: 4 Exercises To Target Your Side Deltoids

 

The Best Time to Stretch Deltoids

A lot of people wonder whether it's better to stretch before or after exercising. Well, this depends on what your goals are.

If you're about to do a heavy shoulder workout and you want to warm up your deltoids to avoid injuries, then stretching your deltoids before exercising is best.

However, if you feel a lot of pain and stiffness after your workout, then it's a good idea to do deltoid stretches post-workout. With that being said, if you have an off day, you can do deltoid stretches no matter what.

 

The 9 Best Deltoid Stretches for Looser Shoulders

Right now, we will look at some of the very best deltoid stretches for looser and more mobile shoulders. Let's start with doing a basic anterior deltoid stretch.

 

1. Anterior Deltoid Stretch

 

For those of you who don't know, the anterior deltoid is the shoulder muscle located on the front of your shoulder, and it's often used in lifting exercises and chest related exercises.

If you have a tight anterior deltoid, it can cause you to injure yourself and lead to poor posture. It's important to stretch your anterior deltoid because it really opens up the front of your body and helps alleviate stiffness and tightness.

1. With your arms at your sides, stand at roughly shoulder width.
2. Raise one of your arms above your head and hold your elbow with the opposite hand.
3. Slowly and gently pull your elbow in towards the opposite shoulder until you feel your anterior deltoid stretching.
4. Hold this position for up to 30 seconds, and then repeat it on the other side.
5. If the exercise isn't intense enough for you, you can use a resistance band or a towel to increase the intensity.

 

2. Posterior Deltoid Stretch

Now that we've covered a basic anterior deltoid stretch, let's cover a posterior deltoid stretch.

The posterior deltoid is the muscle that is on the rear of your shoulder, and it's important to keep it strong because it does a whole lot of stabilization. Make sure that you breathe deeply during the entire stretch.

1. To do a regular posterior deltoid stretch, start by standing at shoulder width.
2. Use your left hand and reach behind you to grab your right elbow.
3. Slowly and gently pull your right elbow in towards your back until you feel your shoulder stretching.
4. Hold this position for roughly 30 seconds and then switch to the other side.

 

3. Standing Reverse Shoulder Stretch

If you want to do an easy beginner shoulder stretch, the standing reverse shoulder stretch is a good one to consider. This is a great one for stretching out your posterior deltoids.

1. Start by standing tall and with good posture. Your back should be straight and your chest puffed outwards.
2. Hold your hands together behind your back with your elbows pointing out towards your sides.
3. Pull your head down to your chest until you feel the back of your shoulders stretching.
4. Hold this position for roughly 20 to 30 seconds before moving on to the other side.

 

4. Standing Phelps Back Slap Stretch

Although this stretch may have a odd name, it's one of the best out there for stretching out your anterior deltoids, chest muscles, and more.

1. Stand up tall with good posture, which means that your chest should be puffed out, your shoulders back, and your core engaged.
2. Start this stretch by giving yourself a hug, by placing your hands just below your shoulders on either side, hugging yourself as tightly as you can until you feel your shoulders stretching.
3. Then, release the hug and open up your arms as wide as you can and reach backwards with your palms facing forward. Your arms should be completely straight and extended, with your hands out as far behind your back as possible.
4. Hold this position for roughly 30 seconds, and then switch sides.

 

5. Stick Anterior Deltoid Stretch

If you happen to have a stick, pipe, or long broom handle on hand, then this is a fantastic exercise to help increase the overall mobility of your deltoids while also giving your anterior deltoids a good stretch.

1. To do this stretch, start by holding a broom or stick with an overhand grip, which means that your palms are facing downwards.
2. Make sure that your arms stay straight throughout this movement.
3. Slowly lower your arms upwards at the shoulders until your arms are straight up above your head and extend your arms as far backwards as possible. You should feel a stretch in your anterior deltoids and chest.
4. You're now going to move your arms back down to the starting position, and then slowly pass the stick to your left side, bend behind you, then to your right side.
5. You're going to repeat this entire sequence 10 times, and then do so while moving in the other direction.

 

6. Arm Across Chest Stretch

One of the most common exercises that you might see people doing at the gym to stretch out their shoulders is the arm across chest stretch. This stretch is fantastic for stretching out your posterior and medial deltoids.

1. To do the arm across the chest stretch, stand roughly shoulder width apart.
2. Stretch your left arm across your body and grab your left shoulder with your right hand.
3. Using your right hand, gently pull your left shoulder towards the right side until you feel it stretching.
4. Hold this position for roughly 30 seconds, and then repeat it on the other side.

Related Post: 8 Rear Deltoid Exercises For Strong Shoulders

 

7. Standing Alternating Upper Arm Circles

Perhaps one of the best mobility exercises of all, although not exactly a stretch, helps keep your shoulders, particularly your deltoids, as mobile as can be.

1. Start this movement by standing upwards with good posture, which means standing tall with a straight back.
2. Raise up your arms until they are horizontal and parallel to the ground, and then move them in fairly large circles in a forward direction 10 times.
3. To maximize the effectiveness of this move, vary the size of the circles.
4. Once you're done moving forward, circle your arms backwards 10 times.
5. Do this three times per side, switching from one to the other in a consecutive manner.

 

8. Wringing the Shoulders

This is a great stretch to help increase the mobility of all three parts of your deltoids, as well as your neck. It's kind of like wringing out a towel of water, but here, you're wringing out your shoulders of their tension.

1. Start by standing upright with good posture and your chest puffed outwards.
2. Raise your arms out at your sides until they are horizontal.
3. Simultaneously rotate one shoulder outwards while you rotate the other inwards. The result should be that one palm is facing upwards and the other is facing downwards.
4. Alternate back and forth and repeat this 10 times.

Related Post: Guide to Getting Boulder Shoulders

 

9. The Doorway Shoulder Stretch

A great anterior deltoid shoulder stretch, the doorway shoulder stretch is easy to do as long as you have a doorway at your disposal.

1. Start by standing in a doorway with your elbows bent at a 90° angle out at your side. Your palms should be raised and facing away from you.
2. Lean your body forward until you feel your anterior deltoids stretching.

 

Final Thoughts

With the deltoid stretches we've listed above, you should be able to reduce pain and increase mobility in your shoulders. Remember to do these stretches on a regular basis for the best results.