Struggling to Reach Behind Your Back? Try These 5 Mobility Exercises
Key insights: 60-second read
- Reaching behind your back requires two different shoulder motions - one arm goes up and over, the other comes up from underneath. Each motion can be limited by different things.
- Hidden stiffness in your upper back and shoulder blade can block this movement - releasing these restrictions can immediately improve your ability to reach behind your back.
- Test-retest is essential - before and after each exercise, test your reach to see what actually works for you.
- Posture is the missing piece - if you don't address the day-to-day shapes and postures that created the dysfunction, the tightness may keep coming back.
If you struggle to reach your hands behind your back - perhaps to do up a bra, tuck in a shirt, or wash yourself - you are certainly not alone. This is a surprisingly common limitation that affects many people, often without them realising there is a way to improve it.
In this article, I will show you five exercises to improve your ability to reach your hands behind your back. This movement requires two different shoulder motions: one arm goes up and over the top, while the other comes up from underneath. Each motion can be limited by different restrictions, so we need to address both.
"To have the capacity to reach behind your back is a valuable part of normal human shoulder function." - Grant Frost
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The Test-Retest Protocol
Before we start, it's essential to establish a baseline. Without a baseline, it is hard to know which exercise is making a difference or whether you have made any improvement at all.
Step 1: Test
Reach one arm up over your shoulder and the other arm up from underneath. Try to clasp your hands together behind your back. Note:
- How far can you reach?
- Where do you feel tightness or restriction?
- Compare both sides - one side is almost always tighter than the other.
Step 2: Treat
Perform one of the five exercises described below.
Step 3: Retest
Immediately repeat the same movement you did at the start. Has anything changed? If you can reach further or it feels easier, you have found a connection.
The Key Principle
"We need to base everything on results so they speak for themselves."
Exercise 1: Upper Back Mobility
This exercise improves your ability to get one arm over your head. The movement up and over the top requires different shoulder mobility than getting underneath, so we need to address this specifically.
How to Do It
- Place a tennis ball or lacrosse ball between your shoulder blade and your spine.
- Lie down on top of the ball and move it around until you find a spot that feels stiff or restricted.
- Do not roll around. Instead, find a spot and use movement to gently shear the tissue free.
- Lift your arm out to the side and slowly oscillate in and out of the range where you feel stuck.
- As the tissue starts to give, your arm should go further.
- Move the ball up or down and repeat, working through the areas that feel most important.
Once you have done this, immediately retest your reach from above. You should feel your arm goes further than it could before.
Exercise 2: Armpit Mobility
Once you have addressed the upper back stiffness, you may also have restrictions through the front, around the outskirts of the armpit. The triceps, rotator cuff, and other tissues here can limit your ability to get your arm up and over.
How to Do It
- Place the ball on the ground, not directly into your armpit (where the nerves are), but around the outside - the base of your arm and the back of your shoulder.
- Find a spot that feels tight or tender.
- Use contract-relax: Tense the tissue underneath the ball for 5-10 seconds, then relax.
- This gets your brain involved and allows the tissue to relax and give a little bit.
- Move to the next spot and repeat.
Retest your reach again. You should feel a noticeable improvement.
What is contract-relax? This is a technique where you actively tense the tight muscle for 5-10 seconds, then relax and go deeper. It taps into a neurological reflex that allows the tissue to release more effectively than passive stretching alone. You will use this throughout the exercises.
Exercise 3: Mid-Thoracic Mobility
This exercise targets the tissue in the mid-shoulder blade area. Stiffness and tightness here can compromise your ability to internally rotate your shoulder, which is essential for reaching behind your back.
How to Do It
- Place the ball in the area between your shoulder blade and your spine, slightly lower than in exercise 1.
- Lie down on top of it and find a spot that feels stiff or restricted.
- Let the ball press into the stiffness and take a deep breath into that area.
- These rib joints need to be mobile for everything around them to move normally.
- Work your way through the levels, spending time on each restricted spot.
Retest your reach from underneath. Your shoulder blade should have more room to move, and your internal rotation should feel less compromised.
Exercise 4: Internal Rotation Mobility
This exercise targets the bottom arm - the one that comes up from underneath. We are going to target the tissue at the back of the shoulder blade. If this tissue is tight, your ability to internally rotate on a stable scapula is compromised.
How to Do It
- Place the ball into the back of your shoulder blade. You should be able to find tightness here quite easily.
- Have your arm out to the side at about 90 degrees.
- Use movement to shear the tissue free - gently internally rotate your arm without letting your shoulder lift up.
- Work within that level, oscillating in and out of the tight range.
- As the tissue at the back becomes less restricted, you should be able to go deeper.
Important: If you feel catching or pain at the front of your shoulder, you may not be in a good shoulder position. Move yourself around until you can do this without the front of your shoulder getting annoyed.
Retest your reach. You should have more internal rotation to get in there.
Exercise 5: Internal Rotation Stretch
This final exercise targets general internal rotation. It is not looking at any specific joint stiffness but rather respectfully forcing more internal rotation into the system to make it easier to reach behind your back.
How to Do It
- Lie on your back with your shoulder blades back in a good position.
- Bridge yourself up and internally rotate your arms (hands behind you, palms facing up).
- Keep your shoulder blades back on the ground - do not let them shift forwards.
- Gently lower your bottom down to respectfully force your shoulders into more internal rotation.
- You should feel tightness at the side or back of your shoulder, not the front.
- Use contract-relax: Push the back of your hands into the ground for 5-10 seconds, then relax and go a little further.
- Repeat the process.
Retest your reach one final time. You should notice significant improvement.
"If you're working really hard to free up this movement, please make sure you're also being conscious of your day-to-day postures and shapes, because that may actually be counterproductive to you getting to where you want to be."
The Role of Posture
If you have found these exercises made a real difference, there has to be a reason why those areas became stiff and restricted in the first place. If you don't address the underlying cause, the tightness will keep coming back.
Why Have You Lost This Ability?
- Sitting and slouching: When you sit with your arms dropped and rolled forwards, all the tension goes through the back of your shoulder and upper back. Over time, this creates dysfunction.
- Stationary postures: The positions you put your body in most throughout the day - sitting at a desk, driving, using your phone - can all contribute to this loss of mobility.
- The solution: Pay attention to your day-to-day shapes and postures. Try to sit taller, keep your shoulders back, and avoid prolonged slouched positions. Arrange your environment to support better posture.
The Bottom Line
Improving your ability to reach your hands behind your back requires addressing multiple areas: upper back mobility, armpit tissue, mid-thoracic mobility, internal rotation mobility, and general internal rotation range. Using a test-retest protocol, you can identify which exercises are most effective for you.
But identifying the source is only half the battle. To permanently resolve the issue, you need to address the postural habits that created the dysfunction in the first place. The positions you put your body in most throughout the day matter. By improving your posture and avoiding prolonged slouched positions, you can prevent this limitation from coming back.
I hope this article helps you improve your shoulder mobility. If you have a different issue, or simply want to learn more about how your body moves, head over to the Your Wellness Nerd YouTube channel. Subscribe if you feel inclined, and let me know in the comments what you'd like me to cover next.
- Grant
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I reach my hands behind my back?
An inability to reach your hands behind your back is usually due to a combination of factors: stiffness in your upper back, restrictions in the tissues around your armpit, limited internal rotation of your shoulder, and poor posture. The five exercises in this article address each of these areas.
How do I know which exercise is right for me?
Use the test-retest protocol. Test your reach, do one exercise, then retest. If you see improvement, that exercise is effective for you. If not, move to the next one. Everyone is different, and different restrictions will respond to different exercises.
What is the contract-relax technique?
Contract-relax is a technique where you actively tense the tight muscle for 5-10 seconds, then relax and go deeper. This taps into a neurological reflex that allows the tissue to release more effectively than passive stretching alone. It is used throughout this article.
How often should I do these exercises?
The mobility exercises can be done daily, especially if you are working on freeing up restrictions. The key is to be consistent and to use the test-retest protocol to see what is actually working for you.
Can poor posture cause this problem?
Yes. Sitting with your shoulders rolled forwards and slouched puts tension through the back of your shoulder and upper back. Over time, this creates dysfunction that limits your ability to reach behind your back. Addressing your posture is essential for permanent improvement.
One key insight
"Reaching behind your back requires two different shoulder motions - one arm goes up and over, the other comes from underneath. Hidden stiffness in your upper back, armpit tissue, and shoulder blade can block this movement. Use the test-retest protocol to identify what works for you."
Living With Persistent Shoulder or Back Pain?
If your pain or stiffness has lasted longer than expected, feels disproportionate, or hasn't responded to standard treatment, you may benefit from a broader approach. Learn more about our shoulder pain physiotherapy services in Port Macquarie.
Want personalised guidance?
If you'd like help making sense of your aches, pains, or ongoing symptoms, you can book with Grant either in Port Macquarie or via an online telehealth consultation.
