Do You Have Parkinson’s Shoulder Stiffness? Try the Advanced Stick Row!

Parkinson’s disease can stiffen the muscles in your chest and shoulders, which leads to weaker back muscles and a stooped posture. Routinely encouraging your shoulders, shoulder blades, and spine to move is crucial to counteracting stooped posture and relieving the pain associated with it. Maintaining an upright posture will also promote normal breathing and improve your heart and gut function.

Bringing your elbows up while relaxing your shoulders is difficult for most people with Parkinson’s. This advanced “Upright Row Stick Stretch” is great for stretching your shoulders and upper back and regaining valuable range of motion.

Check out my video below to see how to do the Advanced Upright Row Stick Stretch for Parkinson’s Stiff Shoulders and Stooped Posture. (Not ready for the advanced version? Click here to learn how to do the beginner stick row.)

Here are the steps to do the Advanced “Stick Row” stretch:

• Start by standing or sitting up tall, holding the stick horizontally with palms toward your body. Make sure your feet are wider than hip-width apart.

• Next, gently raise your elbows, as if two strings were pulling them up. Stop when the stick reaches your belly button, even if you feel you can go higher. Your wrists and the stick should be BELOW your elbows.

• If you’ve been doing the basic upright row and/or have more flexibility, you are ready to do the advanced row.
• Raise your elbows a little higher, keeping the stick even, elbows and wrists above the stick, and neck relaxed. This should feel like a gentle stretch but not a strain.

• You can drop the elbows and raise them back up (like in the video) to get a sense of what good form feels like.
• You can also try a narrower grip to see if you can get better range that way.

• Keep your neck long and shoulders relaxed. Do not shrug your shoulders or round your back.
• Hold here with elbows high, breathe, and return to resting position.
• Try to increase your stretch with pain-free range of motion. Don’t contort your body to get more range.
• Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times.

Add this to the other basic stick stretches listed below. These are great stretches either before your workout or at the end as a cool-down.

• Do this Stick Stretch for Parkinson’s Stooped Posture
• Must-do Pendulum Stick Stretch for Parkinson’s Stooped Posture
• Do You Have Parkinson’s Shoulder Stiffness? Do the Stick Row!

💜 Coach Kimberly