Where should I feel the stretch?

Mostly across the front of the shoulder of the arm moving back, sometimes spreading into the upper chest or the front of the upper arm. Pain on the top or inside of the joint, rather than a stretch, means you have gone too far.

How many reps should I do?

A common starting point is 8 to 12 slow reps on each side, pausing for a few seconds at the end of each one, once or twice a day. If a physical therapist has given you a different dose, follow theirs.

Why push with the other arm instead of just lifting the arm back?

Letting the other arm do the pushing means the shoulder being stretched moves through its range with very little effort of its own, which suits a shoulder that is stiff, sore or still healing. Once the movement is comfortable, you can lift the stick back with both arms together.

Can I do this after shoulder surgery?

Only when your surgeon or physical therapist says so. After rotator cuff repair, many protocols keep the arm from moving behind the body for the first weeks, and some only add this direction later in rehab.

What can I use if I don't have a stick?

Any light, straight, rigid pole works, such as a broom handle, a wooden dowel or a length of PVC pipe. It should be long enough to hold behind your hips with your hands about shoulder-width apart and still slide to one side.

Stick Standing Shoulder Extension

What Is the Stick Standing Shoulder Extension?

Stick Standing Shoulder Extension is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and also engages the upper back and the muscles across the front of the shoulder that it stretches. It is a beginner-level, active-assisted mobility drill: you stand holding a light stick behind your hips, and one hand pushes the stick so the other arm swings back and slightly out behind the body with the elbow straight.

The drill restores the ability to move the arm behind the body, the range you use to reach into a back pocket, tuck in a shirt or slide an arm into a coat sleeve. Because the pushing arm supplies the effort, the shoulder being stretched can move through its range while its own muscles stay mostly relaxed. That is why physical therapists use stick or wand drills like this one when a shoulder is stiff, sore or recovering, and why it fits easily into a home program or a gentle warm-up.

The main sensation is a stretch across the front of the shoulder and upper chest, where the front of the deltoid, the pectoralis major and the long head of the biceps are lengthened as the arm travels back. Keeping the moving elbow straight adds to the stretch on the biceps. The rear deltoid and the muscles between the shoulder blades work lightly to draw the arm and shoulder blade back. Lifting the stick back with both arms at once, without one arm assisting the other, turns it into an active range-of-motion drill that asks more of the shoulder muscles.

It suits older adults, people with low shoulder mobility and clients in shoulder rehab who have been cleared to move the arm behind the body. Pair it with Stick Standing Shoulder Abduction and Stick Standing Shoulder External Rotation to work the shoulder in other directions. If even a small stick-assisted movement is too uncomfortable, start with the Shoulder Pendulum, and if standing balance is a concern, the same drill can be done sitting tall on a stool.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Deltoid: Primary
Pectoralis Major: Medium
Rhomboid Major: Medium
Upper Trapezius: Medium
Biceps Brachii: Low
Latissimus Dorsi: Low
Teres Major: Low
Triceps Brachii (Long Head): Low

Instructions

Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart and your weight even on both feet.
Hold a light stick behind your hips with both hands about shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward toward the backs of your legs and arms hanging straight.
Relax your shoulders down away from your ears, keep your chest open and your chin level.
Pick the arm you want to stretch first and let it stay relaxed, with the elbow straight.
Use your other hand to slowly push the stick toward the side being stretched, so the relaxed arm swings back and slightly out behind you.
Let the pushing elbow bend and keep that hand close to its hip as the stick slides across.
Stop when you feel a gentle stretch across the front of the moving shoulder, and pause there for a few seconds without leaning forward or turning your trunk.
Slowly bring the stick back to the starting position behind your hips.
Complete the planned reps, then switch sides and repeat.

Common Mistakes

Leaning forward at the hips
Tipping the trunk forward makes the arm look like it goes farther back while the shoulder itself barely moves, so stay standing tall.
Lifting with the stretched arm
The arm being stretched should stay relaxed while the other hand pushes the stick, otherwise the drill stops being assisted.
Bending the moving elbow
Letting the elbow of the moving arm bend shortens the lever and takes much of the stretch off the front of the shoulder.
Rolling the shoulder forward
Letting the shoulder roll forward and up at the end of the push loads the front of the joint, so keep it drawn back and down.
Twisting the trunk
Turning the chest toward the pushing side swaps arm movement for trunk rotation, so keep the hips and chest facing forward.
Forcing or bouncing into pain
Shoving the stick hard or bouncing at the end of the range irritates the shoulder, so move slowly and stop at a mild stretch.

Injuries

Stick Standing Shoulder Extension is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The stick adds no load, the arm being stretched stays relaxed while the other arm guides it, and you decide how far it moves, which is why the drill is common in shoulder rehab and in programs for stiff shoulders.

The main strain point is the front of the shoulder, which is stretched as the arm moves behind the body. Pushing too far, too fast or with a bounce can leave it pinched or sore, and leaning forward at the hips or letting the shoulder roll forward lets the arm travel farther while loading the front of the joint instead of stretching it. Stand tall, keep the shoulder back and down, push slowly and stop at a mild stretch. Anyone whose shoulder has slipped out of joint toward the front should keep the range small and follow their clinician's advice.

To make it easier, use a smaller range and a shorter pause, or start with the Shoulder Pendulum if the shoulder is very sore. To progress, lift the stick back with both arms together without assistance, then move on to a held stretch such as the Reverse Shoulder Stretch or to light strengthening such as the Seated Scapular Squeeze.

After rotator cuff repair and some other shoulder surgeries, moving the arm behind the body is often restricted for the first weeks, so only start this drill once your surgeon or physical therapist has cleared it. Stop if you feel sharp or pinching pain, a feeling that the shoulder is slipping, numbness or tingling down the arm, or pain that lingers after the set.

Overview

Primary Focus: Shoulders
Equipment: Other
Modality: Stretching
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where should I feel the stretch?: Mostly across the front of the shoulder of the arm moving back, sometimes spreading into the upper chest or the front of the upper arm. Pain on the top or inside of the joint, rather than a stretch, means you have gone too far.
Q: How many reps should I do?: A common starting point is 8 to 12 slow reps on each side, pausing for a few seconds at the end of each one, once or twice a day. If a physical therapist has given you a different dose, follow theirs.
Q: Why push with the other arm instead of just lifting the arm back?: Letting the other arm do the pushing means the shoulder being stretched moves through its range with very little effort of its own, which suits a shoulder that is stiff, sore or still healing. Once the movement is comfortable, you can lift the stick back with both arms together.
Q: Can I do this after shoulder surgery?: Only when your surgeon or physical therapist says so. After rotator cuff repair, many protocols keep the arm from moving behind the body for the first weeks, and some only add this direction later in rehab.
Q: What can I use if I don't have a stick?: Any light, straight, rigid pole works, such as a broom handle, a wooden dowel or a length of PVC pipe. It should be long enough to hold behind your hips with your hands about shoulder-width apart and still slide to one side.