Shoulder stretching to Warm Up or Cool Down

In this exercise the shoulder is gently stretched to improve flexibility and prevent injury such as over-stretching. This exercise is particularly important when participating in sports that demand suppleness from shoulders, such as football, basketball, cricket and rugby. Most contact and physical sports tax the shoulder joints, and correct warm up and cool down technique will reduce the risk of injury.

This may seem a simple exercise to do, but you need to concentrate on doing it properly for maximum benefit. It is also a good exercise to use when you are suffering from 'frozen shoulder', where raising the arm above shoulder height is impossible or painful.