Wall Angel

A slow slide of the arms up the wall that opens tight shoulders and trains the muscles that hold you upright.

Set up

Back, head and arms against the wall, elbows bent to ninety degrees, feet a step out.

1
Slide the arms up only as far as the backs of your hands stay in contact.
2
Ribs stay down — the urge is to arch the low back to buy range you do not have yet.
3
Slower going up than coming down.

The cue you’ll hear most

“Ribs down. Don’t arch your back to reach higher.”

The single most common fault on this move — your voice coach calls it out a quarter of the way into every interval.

Make it easier

Slide one arm at a time, and stop at shoulder height.

Make it harder

Step the feet closer to the wall, which removes the slack from the whole position.