Seated shoulder external rotation needs nothing but a chair. You sit with the elbow bent to a right angle and tucked into your side, then swing the forearm outward, away from your stomach, and back again. There is no weight or band, which is why it is often one of the first exercises used to bring back the outward turn of the arm (external rotation) after a spell of shoulder pain or stiffness.

How to do the seated shoulder external rotation

Sit up tall on a firm chair, feet flat on the floor and hands on your thighs.
Bend the elbow on the working side to a right angle, with the forearm pointing forward and the hand in a loose fist in front of your stomach. The upper arm stays against your ribs.
Swing the forearm slowly outward, away from your body, keeping the elbow in at your side, like a gate opening.
Stop at the end of the comfortable range and hold for a moment. In the video the hand finishes out beyond the side of the body.
Bring the forearm back to point forward again, with control. Rest your hand on your thigh between sets.

What you should feel

Light work at the back of the shoulder, and perhaps a mild stretch at the front of the shoulder at the end of the turn.

Common mistakes

Letting the elbow drift away from your ribs as the hand moves out.
Twisting the trunk or leaning to make the hand go further.
Slumping in the chair, which rounds the shoulders forward and shortens the turn.
Rushing the forearm back in.

How often

Many programs use 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 slow turns with a short hold at the end, once or twice a day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

A sharp pain or a catch at the front of the shoulder as the hand swings out, or a feeling that the shoulder could slip out.
Pain, pins and needles or numbness spreading down your arm or into your hand.
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

Sitting up tall gives the shoulder more room to turn than slouching does. A folded hand towel pinned between your elbow and your ribs works as a reminder: once it slips, the elbow has wandered. When the movement is smooth and easy, side-lying external rotation makes the same muscles lift the forearm against gravity, and shoulder external rotation with a band adds resistance. For a stiff shoulder that will not turn out far, shoulder external rotation with a stick lets your other arm help.

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. If you had surgery to stop the shoulder slipping out at the front, a repair of the tendon at the front of the shoulder (subscapularis) or a shoulder replacement, surgeons often limit how far the arm may turn outward for the first weeks to protect the repair. Ask how far you may go.

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.

Seated shoulder external rotation