Hey there, Yogi!
This morning, when you put on your jacket, did one arm slide in smoothly, while the other had to shimmy and roll your shoulder forward just to find the sleeve?
Or maybe you reached for something on a high shelf. But your shoulder caught halfway up, so you grabbed a chair instead. Easier than dealing with the pinch.
These aren't big, dramatic moments. They're quiet. Daily. Easy to ignore.
Until they're not.
Here's something most people don't know: studies show 60% of people over 40 yo can't reach fully overhead without their back compensating.
Your body has been adapting for so long, you've forgotten what normal shoulder movement actually feels like.
Today, we're assessing your shoulders to see what's actually happening when you move.
Are you in the 60%? Let's find out.
TEST 1: Overhead Reach (Shoulder Flexion)
Before we start:
Shoulders are different from hips and ankles.
Shoulder pain isn't just tightness. It's often injury, rotator cuff tears, frozen shoulder, old injuries that never fully healed, and arthritis.
If any of these tests caused sharp pain, stop.
Sharp pain in the shoulders is your body saying, "This isn't safe." Listen to it.
Tightness and restriction are one thing. Pain is different.
If you have pain or injury, there’s a dedicated section for modifications after all 3 tests.
Otherwise, here's what we're tracking today:
How to test:
Stand up. Face a wall, about arm's length away.
Feet hip-width apart. Arms at your sides.
Now raise both arms forward and up, reaching for the ceiling.
Keep your ribs down. Don't let your lower back arch to help your arms get higher.
How far did your arms go?
Did they go fully vertical, straight up toward the ceiling, in line with your ears?
Or did they stop partway, maybe 20-30 degrees short of vertical?
Track it:
If your arms went fully vertical without your back arching → Write E (Easy)
If they stopped short, or your back had to arch to get them "up" → Write T (Tight)
Right shoulder: E ___ or T ___
Left shoulder: E ___ or T ___
TEST 2: Hands Behind Head (Shoulder External Rotation)
This tests whether your shoulders can rotate backward with your elbows back, or if they pull forward from tight chest muscles.
How to test:
Stand or sit comfortably.
Bring both hands behind your head, like you're relaxing or doing a sit-up. Fingertips touching the back of your head.
Now here's the test: Can your elbows stay back, in line with your ears, when you look from the side?
Or do they pull forward, in front of your face?
Try it. Look in a mirror from the side if you can, or ask someone to check.
Track it:
If your elbows stay back, in line with your ears (or close) → Write E (Easy)
If your elbows pull forward, well in front of your face → Write T (Tight)
Right shoulder: E ___ or T ___
Left shoulder: E ___ or T ___
You can test both at once, but pay attention, one side often pulls forward more than the other.
TEST 3: Hands Behind Back (Shoulder Internal Rotation)
This is the classic shoulder mobility test. And the one where asymmetry shows up most.
Here's something interesting: the average person loses 30-50% of shoulder internal rotation between ages 30 and 60. Most don't notice until they can't fasten their bra.
One side will probably be tighter. That's completely normal.
How to test:
Stand up, arms at your sides.
First direction: Right hand reaches up from below.
Bring your right hand behind your back, palm facing out, and reach UP your spine, like you're trying to scratch between your shoulder blades.
How far did you get? Lower back? Mid-back? Shoulder blade level?
Now bring your left hand over your left shoulder and reach DOWN your back.
Can your hands touch? Get close? Not even remotely?
Write it down before you forget:
Right hand up, left hand down: Could they touch? Y ___ or N ___
Second direction: Left hand reaches up from below.
Left hand behind your back, reaching UP. Right hand over your right shoulder, reaching DOWN.
Can they touch now?
Left hand up, right hand down: Could they touch? Y ___ or N ___
Track it:
Here's how to score this one:
Easy (E): Hands touch easily OR fingers overlap
Tight (T): Hands get within a few inches but don't touch OR one hand can barely reach mid-back
Very Tight (VT): Hands are nowhere close, 6+ inches apart
Right shoulder (when right hand reaches up): E ___ T ___ or VT ___
Left shoulder (when left hand reaches up): E ___ T ___ or VT ___
💡 This is where you'll see asymmetry:
Most people can touch (or get close) with one hand reaching up, but can't touch at all with the other hand reaching up.
Right-handers often have tighter right shoulders. Side sleepers compress one shoulder nightly.
Don't try to force both sides to match. Just notice which side is tighter.
If You Need Modifications
If you have frozen shoulder:
Frozen shoulder affects 2-5% of the population, and 70% of cases are in women over 40. If you have it, you know.
Test 1: You likely can't lift your arm past 90 degrees. That's okay. Note "frozen shoulder, limited to 90 degrees" and move to Test 2.
Test 2: Your affected shoulder probably won't rotate back at all. Test the other side only.
Test 3: You might not be able to reach behind your back at all. Note "unable to reach, frozen shoulder" and skip it.
If you've had rotator cuff surgery or injury:
Only reach as far as your doctor cleared you to, or as far as feels safe. Note your cleared range or pain limits.
Sharp pain? Stop immediately. That's your signal.
If you have chronic shoulder pain:
Stop at the point where it hurts. Note "pain at X degrees" or "pain limits range."
Don't push through shoulder pain. Tightness and restriction are one thing. Pain is different.
If you couldn't reach behind your back at all in Test 3:
Use a towel or strap. Hold it in your top hand, let it hang down your back, and see if your bottom hand can grab it. This shows you the distance between your hands.
If any test caused sharp pain:
Stop. Sharp pain in the shoulders isn't just tightness; it's often an injury.
Listen to your body.
Your modified results are still valuable data. They show you what's limited and what isn't.
Why This Data Matters (Possible patterns)
If your shoulders tested tight in Test 1 (overhead) AND your hips tested tight in extension:
Your whole front body is locked up, hip flexors pulling your pelvis forward, tight shoulders pulling your ribs down. Your spine is compressed between them.
If one shoulder tested tight in all 3 tests:
That side is compensating hard. Old injury? Dominant side overuse? Sleeping position? We'll map it out by the end of this series.
If your shoulders tested tight AND your upper back feels frozen:
They're connected. Tight shoulders restrict your spine. A tight spine restricts your shoulders. One won't improve without the other.
If your shoulders tested mobile but your neck hurts:
Your shoulders might be fine, but they're overcompensating for something else; probably your upper back or neck itself. The spine assessment next week will show us.
If you have a massive asymmetry in Test 3:
You've got a dominant-side overuse pattern. Your right shoulder (or left) has been doing 80% of the work for years.
That's why we're testing. Not to judge, but to customize.
One Thing You Can Do Today
Even though we said don't fix anything yet, we know you want to DO something.
So here's one safe move for everyone, regardless of your test results:
Shoulder Rolls
Sit or stand, doesn't matter.
Lift your shoulders toward your ears.
Now roll them back, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Drop them down. Roll them forward.
That's one circle. Do 10 slow backward circles.
Your arms just hang there, relaxed. Only your shoulders move.
This doesn't "fix" the restriction, but it reminds your shoulders that they can move. It's a signal: "Hey, I'm paying attention now."
Do it again tomorrow. And the next day. 30 seconds.
A Final Thought
Shoulders carry weight, literally and metaphorically.
The weight of your bag. The weight of responsibility. The weight of stress that sits in your neck and upper back.
These tests aren't about what your shoulders can't do. They're about recognizing what they've been doing all along; adapting, compensating, keeping you moving.
Maybe they can't reach overhead anymore without your back helping. Maybe one side is tighter than the other. Maybe old injuries changed their range.
So, before you move on with your day, pause for just a moment.
Say thank you. Out loud or in your head.
Gratitude changes how you relate to your body, from something to fix to something to work with.
Next week we’ll tackle the final piece. It's the missing link between your shoulders and your hips. Between your upper body and lower body.
One more week. One more assessment. Then everything connects.
With care,
The Yoga Daily Team
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