Pole Shoulder Stretch

Start by facing your dance pole and grasping it lightly just below shoulder height. Stand with your feet about 12 - 18 inches away. Then slowly turn away from your pole, in the opposite direction to the extended arm.

So if your right hand is on the pole, you'll turn away from that arm and towards your left. Keep rotating until you feel a slight stretch across the front of your shoulder.

Your shoulder should be relaxed; try not to tense up.

Now we're going to deepen the stretch. The movement you'll need to do is very small, and you'll have to look closely at the photos to see it.

Allow the elbow of the extended arm to bend just slightly, and drop towards the floor.

This is not a big movement, but you should feel the front of your shoulder and chest open up on that side as you drop the elbow slightly towards the floor.

This small movement takes your shoulder back just enough to help lengthen the muscles in the front of your shoulder and chest.

Depending on which muscles are tightest, you may feel this pole shoulder stretch more in your chest, your shoulders, or even your biceps. You'll probably also find that very small adjustments will affect where you feel the stretch, and how deeply.

Feel free to experiment with how much you bend your arm, how high your hand is, and how much you rotate your body. As long as you move slowly and with awareness, you're very unlikely to injure yourself.

Once you feel a comfortable stretch in the right place, hold it for 20-30 seconds, then release by rotating back towards the pole. Change arms and repeat on the other side.

Here are some reminders for the Pole Shoulder Stretch:

• Move into this stretch with awareness. Because your shoulders are meant to move in many different directions, there is a relatively large amount of connective tissue (ligaments, tendons, etc) located in this area. Treat these tissues with care and don't over-stretch.
• Do feel free to move around gently to find just the right position for your best stretch.
• Do keep your shoulders relaxed throughout the stretch. This will help the muscles to lengthen more easily.
• If you have a shoulder injury currently, or are recovering from any type of injury or surgery in this area, be sure to check with your health care provider before performing this stretch, and be extra aware of how your body responds.
• This stretch usually feels wonderful after a session of challenging pole dancing involving moves like spins or climbs!

Looking for more pole dancing exercises & stretches? Check these out:

• Pole Lunge Exercise - this one kicks butt!

• Pole Knee Lift Exercise - develop core and upper body strength

• Pole V Stretch - for inner thigh, hamstring and lower back

Return from Pole Shoulder Stretch to Pole Dancing Stretches