Quick and Easy Shoulder Warm Up

Quick and Easy Shoulder Warm Up

Shoulders are a critical part of any circus practice, whether you’re backbending, handbalancing or doing aerials - so it’s important to give them the proper love and attention they need in your warm up.

Below are some great exercises to help warm up your shoulders, get your joints moving, and start explore your mobility. I like to start with mobility work, then move on to conditioning.

Beginner-Friendly Shoulder Warm Ups

Shoulder Mobility Warm Ups

Arm Circles

The most basic shoulder warm up of all! I like to do 4-5 relaxed arm circles with straight arms towards the back, then slow them down to half-speed or quarter-speed (make them uncomfortably slow) for another 3-4 rotations. For the slow version actively reach away with your fingertips, trying to reach fingers as far away from your shoulder socket as you can (this will help engage your upper arms). Then back to 2-3 relaxed circles in the same direction to shake out the tension.

Repeat with forward arm circles.

Chicken Wing Arm Circles

Bend your elbows and bring your fingertips to graze the top of your shoulders, like your making funny little chicken wings with your arm. Keeping your fingertips touching the tops of your shoulders, circle your elbows backwards 5 times, then reverse to circle them forwards 5 times.

Open Arm Criss-Crosses

Starting with hands reaching out to your sides at shoulder height, palms facing up, thumbs pointing behind you, hugging your shoulders down your back. Swing your arms in front of your torso to cross, them, and then swing them back open, thumbs reaching to the back wall behind you. These should be nice and relaxed, maybe even feel a little bouncy. Try and keep your palms up at shoulder height the whole time (as they get tired they may start to droop lower).

Repeat 5-8 swings.

Robot Arms

Bring your arms out to the sides, forearms at 90 degrees to your upper arm, palms facing forwards (either open hands or make a fist). Keeping your elbow in the same place and upper arms parallel to the ground, rotate in your shoulder socket so your palms fall down to the ground until your palms are facing behind you. Rotate back to start.

Repeat 5-8 “robot arms.”

Optional (but encouraged): Make beep boop noises throughout.

Putting on Makeup / Salsa Arms

I learned this years ago as arm styling for salsa, but re-learned it as a warm up broken down a little slower as “putting on makeup.”

Start with your arm by your side. Bring right palm up, facing your left cheek (“putting on blush” or “checking your compact”). Sweep your hand across your face to behind your head so palm is facing the back of your head as your elbow lifts up and out to the side (“checking your hair”). Lift your hand to the sky coming to a straight arm, then swoop it down back by your side to start.

Shoulder Flossing

This is my favorite shoulder mobility warm up. I love how I can feel the stretch in my shoulders through the full rotation!

Start kneeling on the floor, grabbing a strap with your palms facing down, thumbs in, hands a couple of inches wider than shoulder width apart. With straight arms, lift your strap above your head, and bring it behind you to the floor / your butt. Reverse to bring your strap back in front of you.

The goal is to do this with straight arms, and have both shoulders rotating at the same time as your bring the strap overhead and behind your shoulders (if one shoulder rotates, and then the other, you’re not getting the same stretch!). If this is feeling easy, move your hands a little closer together, taking a narrower grip on your strap. You should feel a stretch in the front/tops of your shoulders as your reach the strap behind you. If this is feeling hard, take a wider grip.