28/04/2026
When shoulders feel sensitive, it might be less about “tight muscles” and more about poor control.
The shoulder blade is the foundation for the arm.
If it doesn’t move well on the back of the ribs, the ball and socket joint on the end of the arm takes more load than it should.
These are scapular Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs), on hands and knees. I call them shoulder squares.
The idea is simple: move the shoulder blade, with control, through as much of its available range as you can, without the spine or ribs joining in.
On hands and knees you get low load, feedback from the floor, and a stable spine so the movement actually comes from the shoulder blade. But you could do it leaning on a wall or a table too.
I’m thinking slow squares, some say circles, but I like squares. Squeeze the shoulder blades together, slide up to the ears, push apart, and slide down to the hips. Both directions. I like starting with some squeezes first, then slides before putting the movements together.
Elbows stay straight, neck long. Remember to keep the spine still, you don’t want to go turning this into a cat/cow 🐈 🐮 situation.
Keep the movement small if that’s all you’ve got. Sometimes it’s hard when you haven’t done it before and you can’t see them so it might take the brain a little while to get it. Going side on to a mirror might help.
The goal is control and coordination, not big range or stretching.
If your shoulders have been talking to you during presses, planks, or long hours at a desk, try 3–5 slow reps each direction and see what changes.
Feel anything different? Let me know!
