By Lisa Snow

As we age, we gradually lose our ability to reach overhead. However, most of this loss of shoulder mobility is NOT due to aging; for most people it is actually caused by years of neglect of our shoulders. Give them a little love and attention and your shoulders will regain all the mobility you had in your 20s and 30s! Here’s an easy, equipment-free exercise to test and improve your shoulder function: the Wall Slide. Stand with your back to a wall (make sure there are no nails or other hazards above your head). Hold your hands up to the level of your shoulders, and try to press your wrists into the wall. Then slide your hands up the wall until your elbows are all the way straight.

If you can’t reach the wall with your wrist at any time during this exercise, your shoulder mobility needs a boost! (Touching with just your knuckles doesn’t count.) Many people who think they can reach straight overhead are amazed to find that at the top (the straight elbow position), their hands are 4, 6, or even 8 inches away from the wall! If this is you, don’t give up! With regular practice you’ll get closer and closer, until one day, you can do the entire Wall Slide without losing contact with the wall.