Range of Motion Activities

Several simple movements are good general flexibility exercises and can be interspersed, as I said earlier, with other activities throughout the day. Follow the guidelines for active range of motion: 5 to 10 repetitions using a continuous, controlled motion, within the available range of movement.

For those of us who work at a desk or do a lot of reading and writing, the shoulders, neck, and hands need some regular movement. You can do several activities while sitting, although getting up and moving around on a regular basis is a good way to reduce or prevent total body stiffness. Shoulder rolls are an excellent way to mobilize the muscles around the shoulder. After loosening up your shoulders, gently stretch your neck. Finally, open and close your hands a few times to relax your fingers. A friend of mine was having problems with wrist and hand pain after working at the computer. I suggested she add these simple activities into her workday, doing them every hour (she set an alarm on her computer to remind her). Within one week she no longer had wrist or hand pain, and she found that the short breaks also helped her concentration.

One simple activity is a version of reaching for the sky that enhances shoulder and trunk flexibility. Another way to perform some trunk rotation and combined shoulder movement is a variation of a technique that physical therapists use—the diagonal shoulder stretch, which a colleague of mine used to call the “Vanna White” move. You can do either of these moves (with some modification) in a chair during the workday or when you have difficulty standing for a lengthy period. A description of both movements follows.

Sky Stretch

Diagonal Shoulder Stretch

Modified Shoulder Stretch in Sitting

Shoulder Rolls

Neck Stretch

Hand Range of Motion

Cycling Range of Motion

Sitting Hip Rotation

Ankle Range of Motion