Seated shoulder horizontal abduction works the muscles at the back of the shoulders and between the shoulder blades (posterior deltoid, middle trapezius and rhomboids). You sit upright, lift both straight arms out to the sides until they make a cross with your body, then take them back a little and squeeze your shoulder blades together. It needs no equipment and is often an early step before adding a band.

How to do the seated shoulder horizontal abduction

Sit on the edge of a firm bed or chair with your feet flat, your back tall and your arms resting at your sides.
Raise both arms straight out to the sides, palms facing down, until they are level with your shoulders, so your body and arms form a cross.
Keeping the elbows straight and the arms at shoulder height, move them back a little behind the line of your body as you squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other.
Hold the squeeze for a few seconds, breathing normally, with your shoulders low and away from your ears.
Relax the squeeze and let the arms come forward to the line of your body, keeping them at shoulder height, then press back again. In the video the arms stay up for a few squeezes before they come down. Lower them to rest at the end of the set, or sooner if your shoulders tire.

What you should feel

Work at the back of the shoulders and between your shoulder blades. Holding the arms up also tires the tops of the shoulders, and a mild stretch across the front of the chest is common.

Common mistakes

Shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears as the arms go back.
Arching your lower back and pushing your chest forward instead of moving the arms.
Letting the arms sag below shoulder height, or bending the elbows as you tire.
Poking your chin forward during the hold.

How often

Many programs use 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 squeezes, each held for 3 to 5 seconds, once or twice a day. Lower your arms and rest between sets, or partway through a set if the shoulders tire. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

A sharp pain, pinch or catch in the shoulder as the arms go back.
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.
The front of the shoulder feels unstable, as if it might slip out as the arms go back.
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

In the video the arms stay up for most of the clip while the shoulder blades squeeze, so this is as much a holding exercise as a movement. The backward push is small. Once the arms are in line with your body, the shoulder blades do most of the work, and forcing the arms further back mainly strains the front of the shoulder. If you have high blood pressure, breathe steadily through every hold and never hold your breath.

With the arms out wide and pressed back, the front of the shoulder joint is stretched, and a shoulder that has come out at the front before may not tolerate it. Keep the palms facing down and the backward press small. After a dislocation, even one years ago, or if a shoulder has ever felt unstable, ask your physio before you start.

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.

Holding straight arms out wide gets tiring quickly. If your shoulders give out before your shoulder blades have done much, start with the scapular squeeze, done with your hands resting on your thighs. The band pull-apart adds resistance to a similar movement, and prone horizontal abduction works the same muscles lying face down.

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 horizontal abduction