3 Easy Exercises to Unlock Your Shoulders & Instantly Improve Posture

Feeling tight in your shoulders? Struggling with your posture while sitting at a desk all day?

These three movements are designed to improve your shoulder mobility and retrain your body to naturally sit and stand better—all from the comfort of home, with little or no equipment.

1. Wall Posture Reset

Start by resetting your posture against a wall.

Here’s what to do:

• Bend your knees slightly, and place your feet a little bit away from the wall.
• Tuck your chin and bring the back of your head toward the wall—gaze slightly downward.
• Engage the muscles between your shoulder blades and in your upper spine.

Tip: If your head can’t reach the wall at first due to forward head posture, that’s okay. Just go as far as you can with proper technique.

Hold this position for 30 seconds. Over time, work up to 90 seconds or even 2 minutes. This simple movement begins the process of activating your upper back muscles and correcting spinal alignment.

2. Bent-Over Shoulder Flyes

Once your spine is aligned, maintain that position and hinge forward from the hips to set up this second move.

Raise your arms out to your sides in a T position—like a reverse fly. Pause briefly at the top, and lower with control.

You can:

• Add light weights or even water bottles to increase intensity.
• Complete 10–20 reps depending on fitness level and how fatigued your shoulder muscles get.

Focus on activating the muscles in the rear shoulders and maintaining neutral spine throughout. Don’t collapse forward—it’s all about keeping your posture strong and upright.

3. External Rotations (Cactus Arms)

This final move strengthens the external rotators and helps open up cramped shoulders.

From that same hip-hinged position:

• Bend your elbows to 90 degrees (like making goal posts or “cactus arms”), and
• Lift your hands and rotate as if trying to show your palms behind you.

You’ll feel a good burn in your mid-back. This movement counteracts the phone-hunch effect and teaches your shoulders and upper back to work together for better alignment.

Do this exercise to fatigue—don’t worry about the exact rep count. Focus on quality movement.

Keep That Posture Progress Going!

These three movements make a powerful combo for realigning your shoulders and waking up underused posture muscles. Practice daily or a few times a week, and you’ll start to notice improvements in posture, comfort, and even confidence.

If you’re ready to dive deeper…

• 💪 Check out my full Hunchback Fix Program for in-depth posture training.
• 🧠 Got shoulder pain too? My Shoulder Fix Program is designed to help you heal and move pain-free.