The Global Orbit Shoulder Sweep

Trail Log · Movement Breakdown

Here's a shoulder stretch that sounds like a world tour and feels like one too. You stand up straight with your legs together, holding a body bar or broomstick — yes, an actual broomstick works fine, which is one of the many charming things about this stretch. Hold the pole behind your hips with a grip wider than shoulder-width, palms facing down and thumbs pointing outward.

From this starting position, you slowly raise your arms up behind you and continue rotating them overhead until the bar passes behind your head and comes forward. If you've got excellent shoulder mobility, the bar travels in a full circle around your torso — over your head, down in front of you, and back to the starting position behind your hips. It's like your shoulders are orbiting a planet, and that planet is your own body.

If you can't complete the full rotation, that's totally fine — just go as far as you can without forcing it. The movement itself is the diagnostic tool; where you get stuck tells you exactly where your shoulder mobility is limited. Most people who work at desks will find the bar gets stuck somewhere behind the head, which is a clear sign that the shoulders need this stretch on a regular basis. Over time, with consistent practice, the range of motion will improve and the bar will travel further on its orbital journey. This stretch improves shoulder mobility in all directions, making it one of the most comprehensive upper-body flexibility exercises you can do with minimal equipment.