IF YOU DO ONE THING TODAY...

DO A WALL ANGEL

Have you been ignoring the flexibility of your shoulders? Most people do. Until, that is, they try to reach for something from a top shelf and end up injured as a result.

I’ve definitely got room for improvement, as working on the shoulder and chest muscles in the gym leads to inflexibility in the joint.

But the main culprit for causing problems is spending too much time hunched forwards over a desk. And this is where this simple and brilliant exercise – the scapular wall slides, more commonly called the wall angel – comes in.

Give it a go now, and see just what your range of motion is. You’ll be surprised how quickly it improves with a little practice. Oh, and men who have naturally tighter chest muscles are usually much worse at this exercise to begin with than women. Stand upright with your back against a wall, your feet shoulderwidth apart. Keep your tailbone, your lower back, your upper back and your head against the wall.

Hold your arms up straight at shoulder height, then bend your elbows, and press the back of your hand and elbows against the wall. Keeping your arms against the wall, move your elbows down to where they are comfortable – ideally, you’ll make a W shape but don’t force it. This is the start position – and the bottom of your range of motion. Theoretically, one day you might be able to comfortably rest with your elbows against your ribcage.

With your fingertips pointing to the sky, slowly slide your arms up along the wall, aiming to get your elbows to ear-height. Again, don’t force it.

Slide your arms back down, bending your elbows to return to starting position.

Repeat the exercise ten times a day for a week.