How To Improve Reaching Your Hand Behind Back: Best Arm Behind Back Stretches for Shoulder Mobility

If you are unable to put arm behind your back (or want to improve reaching your hand behind back), this article is for you.

You will learn the most effective arm behind back stretches and achieve your flexibility goal in no time.

I’ll cover a few more things you should know, like:

• How to tell if you should improve reaching behind back
• Why is so hard to maintain good flexibility for reaching behind back stretch
• How To Improve Reaching Your Hand Behind Back
• Most common questions about this flexibility challenge

Let’s get started.

How to Tell if You Should Improve Reaching Behind Back (Shoulder Internal Rotation Test)

Start from a standing position and place one of your hands behind your back. Reach with your hand as much as you can toward your neck. If you can’t reach the shoulder blade level (lower angle) then you should improve reaching behind your back.

See the picture below.

How To Improve Reaching Your Hand Behind Back

Releasing the tight shoulder muscles

• Lay down on your back
• Place a massage ball under your shoulder, between shoulder joint and shoulder blade
• Massage this area with a ball for 2 minutes

Best Stretches to Help You Reach Your Hand Behind Back

Cross Stretch

• From a standing position, cross your arms
• Pull the elbow of your arm to the opposite side
• Hold this stretch for 30s

Standing Arm Pull Stretch

• From a standing position, place one arm behind your back
• Pull your arm to the opposite side with your other hand
• Hold this stretch for 30s

Elbow Push Forward

• Place your hands on the back side of your hips
• Push with your elbows forward
• Hold for 30s

Shoulder Internal Rotation with Bar

• Place one arm behind your back while other arm is above your head
• Hold a bar in both of your hands
• Lift the bar upward, moving your shoulder into internal rotation
• Hold for 30s

Shoulder Extension with Bar

• Place your hand behind your back while holding a bar with both of your hands
• Extend the lower arm backward
• Hold this position for 30s

Sleepers Stretch for Shoulder

• Starting position is laying on the side
• Place your overarm on the floor with elbow at 90 degrees
• With help of other hand, rotate your arm into internal rotation
• Avoid lifting of the shoulder
• Hold this stretch for 30s

Strength Exercises for Moving Your Arm Behind Back

Prone Shoulder Extension and Internal Rotation

• Lay down on your stomach
• Place your arms beside your body with palms facing upward
• Lift your arms up and reach behind your back with your arms without touching your back
• Repeat 3×10

Standing Arm Reach Behind Back

• Reach behind back with your arms without touching your back from a standing position
• Repeat 3×10

Static Internal Rotation

• Place a hand on your back and use the other hand to give a resistance when pushing into internal rotation
• Repeat 3×10

Mobility Exercises to Improve Reaching Behind Back With Your Arm

Horizontal Shoulder Abduction and Adduction

• From a standing position, cross and extend your arms at the shoulder height
• Repeat this movement for 3×10

Shoulder Internal and External Rotation

• Hold your arms in a 90/90 position (90 degree shoulder abduction and elbow flexion)
• Rotate your arms in both ways, internal and external rotation
• Repeat for 3×10

Shoulder Flexion and Extension

• From a standing position, lift up and extend your arms behind your back
• Repeat this movement for 3×10

Why is so Hard to Maintain Good Flexibility for Reaching Behind Back Stretch

To be able to reach your hand behind your back at shoulder blade level, you need to have flexible rotator cuff muscles like infraspinatus and teres minor and proper mobility in your shoulder joint.

Classic weight exercises like bench and overhead press, standing rowing, and similar can contribute to loss of internal rotation because of poor technique.

Moving a shoulder a bit forward during those exercises makes your front shoulder and chest muscle overactive and they can restrict your reaching behind your back.

Painful shoulder conditions like a frozen shoulder restrict movements in the shoulder joint, including extension and internal rotation – this is what you need to perform reaching behind back.

Common Questions About This Flexibility Challenge

Why Should I improve reaching behind back?

Improving shoulder mobility in this direction (extension and internal rotation) reduces the chances of injuring the rotator cuff muscles and you will achieve better results with upper body strength exercises like chest and shoulder presses, standing row and similar.

How far should your arms be able to go back?

Ideally, you should reach with your arm behind your back to the opposite shoulder blade level.

What causes poor shoulder mobility?

Several factors can cause poor shoulder mobility: soft tissue restrictions, capsular and/or joint restriction. Soft tissue restrictions refer to muscles meaning that few effective stretches can help you improve shoulder mobility. Osteoarthritis and frozen shoulder are the most common shoulder conditions causing poor shoulder mobility.