Supine Wall Angels

Improving chest and shoulder mobility relieves muscle tightness and stiffness, and can make it easier to breathe and maintain a better posture when sitting or standing.

Length: 0:53

Categories: Supine, Exercise

Transcript

Lie on your back with knees bent and elbows also bent. Slide upwards, extending your arms until your hands meet overhead or as close as they can. Then come back down as far as you comfortably can. Inhale as you move your arms up, and exhale as you bring them back down.

Try to keep your elbows in contact with the ground, but don’t worry if your hands don’t touch the ground the whole time. Also take care not to arch your back. This exercise works on the front of the chest and the shoulders, which can be tight or stiff after lying down for a long time. Loosening up these muscles can also make it easier to breathe and maintain a good posture.

Related Videos

Photo of Introduction to Supine (On Your Back) Exercises

Introduction to Supine (On Your Back) Exercises

Categories: Supine, Introductions

Exercise is an important part of COVID-19 recovery in order to regain your strength, endurance, flexibility, and ability to fully take part in all aspects of your daily life. Even if you cannot yet tolerate exercise in positions other than on your back or in bed, it is still very important to keep yourself as active as possible.

Photo of Supine Absolute Basics –

Supine Absolute Basics – "The Bare Minimum"

Categories: Start Here, Supine, Exercise

Some of the absolute basic exercises that should be performed if you are bed-bound include ankle pumps, heel slides and rolling from side to side to change position. Doing these exercises regularly several times a day will help from developing blood clots, pressure ulcers or bedsores, and contractures (shortened, tight muscles).

Photo of Supine Belly Breathing

Supine Belly Breathing

Categories: Start Here, Breathing, Supine, Exercise

Stress and illness can affect how we breathe, impacting our digestion, cardiac and pulmonary function, nervous system and overall health. Luckily, we can control how and where we breathe in our bodies to change this.

Photo of Getting Out of Bed (Supine Log Roll)

Getting Out of Bed (Supine Log Roll)

Categories: Start Here, Supine, How To, Exercise

The 'log roll' is a simple technique to make it easier to get in and out of bed, and is useful for those who have back pain or decreased balance and strength.

Photo of Supine Bridges

Supine Bridges

Categories: Supine, Exercise

Strengthening the muscles of the buttocks makes it easier to get out of bed, a chair or off the toilet. It can also make it easier to go up stairs and can help decrease low back pain.

Photo of Supine Lower Trunk Twist

Supine Lower Trunk Twist

Categories: Supine, Exercise

This twisting exercise stretches any areas of tension at the mid and lower back and even the sidebody and muscles between the ribcage. When done more quickly from side-to-side, it can act as an abdominal strengthening exercise.

Photo of Supine Marching

Supine Marching

Categories: Supine, Exercise

This exercise strengthens abdominal and hip muscles as well as helping to stabilize your lower back.

Photo of Supine Neck Mobility & Stretches

Supine Neck Mobility & Stretches

Categories: Supine, Exercise

Learn movements and stretches to keep the muscles the neck and upper back flexible, which can help resolve headaches, muscle pain, stiffness, and improve your posture.