Move · Videos · Stretching · 11 min

10-Minute Gentle Neck, Shoulder and Upper Back Stretch

10-Minute Gentle Neck, Shoulder and Upper Back Stretch — video by Dr. Kristie Ennis Play · 10:41

Video by Dr. Kristie Ennis on YouTube · Open on YouTube

A physical therapist moves from seated cat-cow, neck tilts and partial neck rolls to side bends, child's pose reaches and thread-the-needle, then standing shoulder rolls, rotations and side bends. Gentle, and can be adapted for a chair or bed.

  • 11 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • mat
Open in VideosLog it in Train

Step by step 10

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Seated cat-cow: breathe in to lift your chest and squeeze your shoulder blades, breathe out to round; five times. 0:09
  2. Neck tilts: one arm out with the palm up, tilt your head to the opposite side, then switch back and forth. 1:00
  3. Partial neck rolls: tuck your chin and roll round to one side and back, only as far as is comfortable. 1:56
  4. Seated side bends: clasp your hands overhead and bend to each side, keeping the opposite hip down. 2:52
  5. Side bend with a forward sweep: reach up and over, then sweep the arm forward along the floor; five each side. 4:13
  6. Child's pose: reach your arms forward and rock gently side to side, then rest your hands back by your shoulders. 5:27
  7. Thread-the-needle on all fours: reach one arm up, then slide it under and let the shoulder drop; three each side. 6:53
  8. Standing: roll your shoulders up and back five times, then rotate side to side with your arms overhead. 7:54
  9. Standing side bends: hands clasped overhead, feet grounded, bend over to each side; unclasp if needed. 9:01
  10. Wide-leg fold twist: hips back, knees bent if needed, one hand down and the other arm up; each side. 9:41

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Move only as far as you can without pain; stretching should feel good
  • Keep the hip down on the side you reach away from in the side bend
  • In thread-the-needle, let the shoulder drop only as far as it comfortably goes

What it works

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses light on the joints

  • Neck movesneck tilts and partial neck rolls
  • Shoulders movesoverhead reaches, thread-the-needle, shoulder rolls
  • Wrists & hands moveshands on floor in child's pose and all fours
  • Upper back movescat-cow, side bends, thread-the-needle, standing twists
  • Lower back movesseated cat-cow, side bends, wide forward fold
  • Hips moveschild's pose, cross-legged sitting
  • Knees moveschild's pose, all fours
  • Kneeling. Pressure on the kneecaps — a folded towel or cushion under the knees helps.
  • Weight on your hands. The wrists bend back under load. Fists, push-up handles or your forearms ease it.
  • Down on the floor. You get down to the floor and back up again.
  • Rounding or twisting the back. With osteoporosis or a back problem, move smoothly and within comfort, and ask a physio which suit you.

Easier option from the coach: Seated moves can be done in a chair or bed; bend the knees in the fold

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

More like this

Browse all 764 videos

Video by Dr. Kristie Ennis; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety