Shoulder Circles
A beginner mobility exercise that works the shoulders.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Shoulder Circles
- With shoulders relaxed and arms resting loosely at your sides (or in your lap if you're seated), gently roll your shoulders forward, up, back, and down.
- Reverse direction. You can do this exercise alternating shoulders or both at the same time.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Shoulder Circles
9 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Arm Circles
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the shoulders.
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2
Elbow Circles
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the shoulders.
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3
Round The World Shoulder Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the shoulders.
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4
Shoulder Raise
A beginner mobility exercise that works the shoulders.
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5
Shoulder Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the shoulders.
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6
Chair Upper Body Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the shoulders.
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7
Side Wrist Pull
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the shoulders.
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8
Upward Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the shoulders.
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9
Seated Front Deltoid
An advanced mobility exercise that works the shoulders, needing no equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do shoulder circles work?
Shoulder Circles primarily works the shoulders. The traps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for shoulder circles?
The source dataset does not record equipment for shoulder circles. Check the instructions above before you set up.
Shoulder Circles: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Shoulder Circles is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of shoulder circles?
Arm Circles, Elbow Circles, Round The World Shoulder Stretch train the same primary muscles and are listed with 6 more alternatives above.
How do I log shoulder circles in Fitnit?
As time held rather than reps. Fitnit records the seconds and credits them to the shoulders on your body map, so you can see which muscles you train hard and never stretch.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Shoulder Circles with AI
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