Arms-out rotations

Upper back & chest · Seated · about 30 seconds · Updated 21 October 2026

Arms-out rotations work the small muscles at the back of the shoulder, which help against rounded shoulders: with your elbows tucked in at your sides, turn your forearms out and back. It pairs well with the shoulder-blade squeeze and is quiet enough for a shared office.

How to do the arms-out rotations

1. Sit tall with your elbows bent to a right angle and tucked in at your sides, thumbs up.
2. Keeping your elbows in, turn your forearms out to the sides as far as is comfortable.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades a little, then bring your forearms back in.

What it works

• Back of the shoulders

How long and how often

In a movement break it's 8 slow reps, about 30 seconds in total, and it can come up in the “Neck & shoulders”, “Upper back & chest”, “Full-body reset” and “Discreet” classes. It's meant to be repeated through the day in short breaks rather than done once; doing it regularly matters more than the exact timing.

Tips

• Elbows stay at your sides
• Shoulders down
• Slow and even

Move gently, in a comfortable range. Stop if you feel sharp pain, numbness, tingling or dizziness.