The cross body shoulder stretch works on the back of the shoulder and upper arm. Sitting tall, you bring one arm across your chest at shoulder height and use the other hand to ease it a little further. The stretch lands on the muscles at the back of the shoulder (posterior deltoid and part of the rotator cuff).

How to do the cross body shoulder stretch

Sit up tall in a chair, feet flat and hands resting on your thighs.
Lift one arm and bring it across your chest at about shoulder height, keeping it fairly straight.
With your other hand, hold the arm at or just above the elbow and gently draw it a little further across.
Stop when you feel a stretch across the back of the shoulder and upper arm, and hold it there.
Let go slowly and lower the arm. Then do the other side.

What you should feel

A stretch across the back of the shoulder that sometimes reaches into the upper back. There should be no pinch at the front or top of the shoulder.

Common mistakes

Turning your body toward the arm. The stretch slips away as soon as your chest turns, so keep it facing forward.
Holding the forearm or wrist. That puts the pull through the elbow instead of the shoulder.
Hunching the shoulder up toward your ear.
Pulling hard. A light, steady pull does the job.

How often

A usual starting point is a 20 to 30 second hold, 2 to 3 times on each side, once or twice a day. Your physio may change this to suit your shoulder.

Stop and check with your physio if

The shoulder pinches, catches or gives a sharp pain, most often at the front or top.
You get pain or tingling running down the arm.
Pins and needles in your arm or hand that do not go away after you stop, or part of your arm or hand goes numb. Get medical advice the same day. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away.
A sudden pop or tearing feeling in the shoulder that brings sharp pain, new weakness or trouble lifting the arm. Stop and contact your surgical team the same day, or get medical advice the same day if you have not had surgery.
The shoulder feels as if it has slipped out of place, looks a different shape or suddenly locks so you cannot move the arm, or your hand turns cold, pale or blue. Go to an emergency department straight away, without driving yourself, and do not try to put the shoulder back in yourself.

From the clinic

If the front of the shoulder pinches, some people find it helps to bring the arm across a little lower, just below shoulder height. The stretch should stay at the back.

You can do this standing too. Sitting, as in the video, makes it easier to keep your trunk still, and a turning trunk is where most people lose the stretch. The sleeper stretch works the same part of the shoulder lying on your side.

After shoulder surgery, including a rotator cuff repair, or after a shoulder fracture or dislocation, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and do only the movements and range they have cleared. Many plans allow only passive movement at first, where the arm is moved for you and its muscles stay relaxed.

Reviewed by the PocketPhysio by VirtueLife expert physiotherapy team. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Cross body shoulder stretch