Shoulder Lifts and Drops

Why do this?

This exercise opens the chest and rib cage. It also drops and relaxes the shoulder blades.

What it does for me:

I am someone with a chronically closed chest. This exercise is great for counteracting a hunched over, slouched posture. This exercise has helped my position become more square (balanced with equal weight on all sides of my body) in all gaits, my horse more square (rather than falling in on one side or the other) and I do not lean as much nor as quickly as I used to when going over jumps. In and out of the saddle, this exercise is great for releasing shoulder tension.
I find these movements to be quite difficult. Any motion up or down from either the bottom or top of the spine is huge. Be very kind to yourself doing this exercise. I hope you give yourself a lot credit for even the slightest increase in motion here.

Can be done while sitting or standing,

Breathe - inhale through your breastbone and exhale through bottom of your shoulders.

Encourage a neutral, not arched, spine.

Lock your pelvis by pulling your belly button towards your spine.

Stack your head and neck on top of your spine in one plane, not forward, back nor bent.

Visualize keeping your shoulder blades down throughout each entire movement.

Open the front of your chest by breathing deeply and rhythmically for 30 seconds.
With a bent elbow, put your right arm behind and up your back towards your shoulder blade.
Let your left arm hang down loosely at your left side.
Place the back of your right hand on your spine and open your palm.
Move the back of your right hand up your spine toward your neck.
Try to keep the back of your hand on your spine.
Slowly, move your hand up towards your neck as far as you can while keeping your pelvis locked and your head and neck stacked straight on top of your spine.
Do not roll your shoulders forward.
Remember to keep your shoulder blades down throughout the entire movement.
Go up only as far as you can without bending or tilting any part of your body forward, backward or to the side.
Hold for 5 seconds.
Slowly move your hand down towards you waist as far as you can while keeping your pelvis locked and your head and neck stacked straight on top of your spine.
Repeat this movement 5 times with the right arm.
Release and relax your arm and rest for 30 seconds.
Switch arms and do this movement 5 times with the left arm following the same preparation as you did with the right arm.

For the opposite movement,
Put your right hand, with a bent elbow, up and behind your head and neck.
Let your left arm hang down loosely at your left side.
Place the open palm of your right hand on your spine.
Move the palm of your right hand down your spine towards your shoulders.
Slowly move your hand down towards your waist as far as you can while keeping your pelvis locked and your head and neck stacked straight on top of your spine.
Go down only as far as you can without bending or tilting any part of your body forward, backward or to the side.
Hold for 5 seconds.
Slowly move your hand up towards your neck as far as you can while keeping your pelvis locked and your head and neck stacked straight on top of your spine.
Repeat this movement 5 times.
Release and relax your arm and rest for 30 seconds.
Switch arms and do this movement 5 times with the left arm following the same guidelines as you did with the right arm.

Progressive Variation

After a minimum of 2 months doing the above exercise in each direction with each arm, try moving both arms up and down the spine at the same time.
Put one arm bent behind the neck coming down the spine towards the waist and the opposite arm bent behind and up the shoulder blade coming up the spine towards the neck.
Move the hands towards each other.
Remember to keep the shoulder blades down throughout the entire movement.
No bending, twisting or tilting any part of your body forward, backward or to the side.
Hold position for 5 seconds.
Relax and rest for 30 seconds.
Switch the placement of each arm and repeat the movements in both arms up and down the spine at the same time.