How to Warm Up Your Shoulders Before Sport

TL;DR

Warm up your shoulders with five exercises: arm circles, shoulder blade squeezes, band or towel pull-aparts, and wall slides. This takes about 5 minutes and activates the muscles around the joint, not just the joint itself. Arm swings alone move the shoulder but do not prepare the muscles. Use a light band if you have one.
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The Detail
Shoulder warm-up exercises are often skipped or rushed, even though the shoulder is one of the more complex joints to prepare properly. Arm swings alone move the joint, but they do very little to activate the muscles around it.
This matters for any sport involving throwing, swimming, or a swinging action, like badminton and other racquet sports, as well as contact sports. In this post, you will learn a simple shoulder warm-up routine that goes beyond swinging your arms.

​What you'll need

• No equipment required, though a light resistance band can help
• About 5 minutes
• A little space to move your arms freely

Step 1: Arm circles
Extend your arms out to the sides and make small circles, gradually increasing the size over 15 to 20 seconds each direction. This moves the shoulder joint through its range before you ask it to do any work.

Step 2: Shoulder blade squeezes
Stand tall and pull your shoulder blades back and together, holding for 2 seconds before releasing. Do 2 sets of 12.

Common mistake: shrugging your shoulders up towards your ears instead of squeezing them back. Keep your shoulders down throughout the movement.

Step 3: Band or towel pull-aparts
Hold a light band or towel in front of you with both hands, then pull it apart by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Do 2 sets of 12.
This activates the muscles between your shoulder blades, which are easy to under-use compared with the muscles at the front of your shoulder.

Step 4: Wall slides
Stand with your back against a wall, arms bent at your sides like a goalpost shape, then slide your arms up the wall and back down, keeping contact with the wall throughout. Do 2 sets of 10.
This is a more purposeful alternative to a loose arm swing, because it forces the surrounding muscles to control the movement rather than letting momentum do the work.

Common mistakes

• Relying only on loose arm swings, which move the joint without activating the muscles
• Skipping the shoulder warm up entirely, especially in sports where the arms feel like a secondary focus
• Doing the exercises too fast to control properly
• Skipping rotation work if your sport involves a swinging or throwing action, like badminton or netball

Step 5: Shoulder Rotations
Bend your elbow to 90 degrees and lift your elbow up to shoulder height. Rotate your wrist one way and then the other under control. You can add a light stretchy band to add a little bit of load. Do 2 sets of 10 per side.
This targets the rotator cuff muscles that control rotation, a movement that the other exercises here do not cover. It matters most for sports with a swinging or throwing action, like badminton, tennis and netball, where the shoulder needs to rotate quickly and with control.

What to do next

• Add these five exercises before any sport involving throwing, swimming or a swinging action.
• Use a light resistance band if you have one, though it is not essential.
• Combine this with a lower-body warm-up for a complete routine.

Further reading:
See our guide to why warming up properly prevents injuries to understand why muscle activation matters as much as movement. https://www.betterbodiesphysio.com/blog/how-to-warm-up-your-shoulders-before-sport

Common Questions About Shoulder Warm-Ups
Can I just do arm swings instead?
Arm swings move the joint but do not activate the surrounding muscles, so they are not enough on their own before a demanding session.

Do I need a resistance band?
No. A towel works just as well for the pull apart exercise if you do not have a band.

How often do shoulder injuries happen from a poor warm up?
Shoulder strains are common in throwing and racquet sports, and a rushed or skipped shoulder warm up is a frequent contributing factor physios see.
If shoulder pain is limiting your training, book an appointment with our sport physio therapy team to get a plan built around your sport.