In the pendulum exercise you lean forward and let your arm hang, then use gentle body sway to swing it in small circles. The shoulder muscles stay relaxed while the joint moves.

How to do the pendulum exercise for the shoulder

Stand beside a sturdy table. Lean forward and rest your good hand on it, with your knees slightly bent.
Let the other arm hang straight down in front of you, completely relaxed.
Rock your body gently forward and back so the arm swings forward and back like a pendulum.
Then rock side to side, and finally sway in small circles so the arm circles both ways.
The movement comes from your body. You are not lifting the arm.

What you should feel

The shoulder moves loosely while the arm muscles stay switched off. A mild ache is common, but it should not build as you go.

Common mistakes

Using the shoulder muscles to swing the arm.
Making the swings too big. Small swings are enough.
Leaning without support. Always keep one hand on the table.

How often

Often 30 to 60 seconds in each direction, a few times a day, adjusted by your physio. After surgery, your surgeon's and physio's instructions come first, including when the arm may come out of the sling.

Stop and check with your physio if

Shoulder pain gets sharper or keeps building while you swing.
You feel dizzy when leaning forward. Stand up slowly and sit down. If you faint while exercising, call emergency services, even if you feel fine again quickly.
Your arm or hand goes numb, tingles or gets pins and needles.
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

You may see this called the Codman exercise. It is common for frozen shoulder and in the first weeks after some shoulder operations. Do it only if your own team has said it is right for you. 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.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

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.

Pendulum exercise for the shoulder