Training guide
To do wall angels, stand with your back, head and bottom against a wall, feet a short step out, and the backs of your forearms on the wall in a W; slide your arms up as far as they'll go with everything still touching, then slowly back down. Start with 8 slow slides, in the range where your wrists and elbows stay on the wall.
Wall angels are a gentle drill for your shoulder blades and upper back: in the only study of this form, the shoulder blade muscles worked at low to moderate levels. They're popular as a posture fix, but no trial has tested them on their own. Strengthening programmes change posture measures a little over weeks, and posture isn't a reliable cause of pain.
This guide shows them on the 3D figure, what to do if you can't reach the wall, what they work, what they can and can't do for posture, the floor, band and face-down versions, and how often to do them.
Stand with your back, head and bottom against a wall, feet a short step out and knees slightly bent, keeping your lower back's gentle curve. Bend your elbows and rest the backs of your forearms and wrists on the wall, then slide your arms up as far as they go with everything still touching, and slowly back down.
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In the only study of this back-to-the-wall form, in 18 adults, the lower trapezius worked at about 22% of its maximum and the serratus anterior at 16 to 20%, with the upper trapezius fairly busy. Face-down raises work those muscles harder. Wall angels are an easy first step, not the strongest shoulder blade exercise.
Getting your arms to the wall needs your shoulder blades to draw back and your upper back to straighten. Use the range you have: step your feet out, slide only as high as your wrists stay on, sit, or do them lying on the floor.
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Strengthening programmes changed photo measures of the shoulders and upper back in trials, but their effect on pain was very uncertain, and no trial has tested wall angels on their own. Use them alongside rows, Y-T-W raises and band pull-aparts, as our rounded shoulders guide does.
Upper-back rounding didn't differ between people with and without shoulder pain, and in 686 young people followed for 5 years, slumped sitting didn't predict neck pain. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) says "There is no perfect posture".
Start with 8 slow slides, 1 or 2 sets, 2 or 3 times a week or daily as a movement break (our posture guides, editorial). Programmes that included them used 2 or 3 sets of 10 to 15, 3 days a week, for 6 to 12 weeks.
Back to the wall, your arms bent in a W (or goalpost) with the backs of the forearms on the wall, sliding up towards a Y and back. Our move page files it under mobility, and our face pull and band pull-apart guides use it as the first, easiest step of the shoulder blade ladder.
Most research, and NHS inform's shoulder exercises, use a "wall slide" that faces the wall with the forearms on it. It's a different exercise from the back-to-the-wall wall angel, so studies of one don't transfer exactly to the other.
As your arms rise, your shoulder blades turn upwards and tilt back on your ribs (the serratus anterior and the lower and middle trapezius), your upper back straightens, and your shoulders turn outwards to keep your forearms on the wall, while your stomach muscles stop your lower back arching. Measured activity is low to moderate.
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Nothing beyond standing comfortably, as our move page says. Your overhead reach sets your range: our overhead press guide uses the wall angel as its reach check, arms to the wall overhead without your lower back lifting off it.
With a very rounded upper back, the backs of your arms or your head may not reach the wall: a small range is fine, as our kyphosis workout says. In people with shoulder pain, the upper trapezius worked harder in this drill. Older adults showed less lower trapezius activity in wall slides. In pregnancy, the standing version is fine; the floor version means lying on your back, which the NHS says to avoid for more than a few minutes later in pregnancy.
From our move page and Physitrack's exercise card, in our editorial wording. The pace is editorial.
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The movement on the figure: Wall angel
Reaching the wall needs your shoulder blades to draw back and your upper back to straighten, as the authors of a seated wall angel test put it, and most people lose contact somewhere on the way up. Being unable to touch isn't a diagnosis.
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Step your feet a little further out. Start with your forearms off the wall and slide only as high as your elbows stay on. Sit on a stool with your back to the wall. Or lie on the floor with your knees bent, where it's easier because the floor holds you.
Arching your lower back, flaring your ribs or shrugging to force your wrists to the wall makes the range look bigger without training it, as our move page warns.
Foam roller extensions, open books and thoracic rotations may make the range feel easier (our editorial suggestion). Stretching on its own hasn't changed posture in trials.
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In 18 adults, 9 with shoulder pain, a back-to-the-wall slide worked the lower trapezius at about 22 to 23% of its maximum and the serratus anterior at 15.5 to 20%. The upper trapezius worked at 12% without shoulder pain and 24% with it, so it stayed fairly busy compared with the lower trapezius. A face-down cobra had the best balance, and the effect on arm tasks afterwards was short-lived. It's one small study.
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A facing-the-wall forearm slide worked the serratus as much as a wall push-up plus at 90 degrees, and more as the arms went higher (20 people). In other wall slide studies, the trapezius stayed under 20% of its maximum (19 people), a towel wall slide worked the serratus and the small chest muscle (pectoralis minor) most (21 people), and wall slides suited early rehabilitation in people aged 18 to 60.
In 20 young adults doing wall slides, a light band round the elbows raised serratus activity to 46% of maximum and one round the wrists to 34%, against 32% without, with the upper trapezius at 0 to 15% throughout and quietest with the band at the wrists. Pressing outwards against a band raised serratus and trapezius activity in 30 people with a winged shoulder blade.
Raising the arm overhead while lying face down drew the most lower trapezius activity in 30 people; side-lying and face-down exercises gave the best trapezius balance in 45; and lying positions keep the upper trapezius lowest across 15 studies, while standing raises it. So Y-T-W raises are the stronger next step.
These studies measure effort over a few reps, not what a muscle will build over weeks.
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In 28 small trials of 901 people, corrective exercise programmes changed photo measures of the head, shoulders and upper back by a large amount (moderate certainty), but pain didn't change clearly, and that evidence was very low certainty. Across 23 studies, strengthening changed upper-back and neck posture and stretching didn't. In adults aged 45 and over with a pronounced upper-back curve, exercise improved the curve a little.
Wall angels appear inside programmes: 3 sets of 10, 3 times a week for 6 weeks in 50 young women with neck pain (both groups improved, with no untreated group); 2 sets of 10, then 15, then 3 sets of 8 with holds over 12 weeks in 50 women farmers (an exploratory result). A facing-the-wall slide eased upper trapezius pain in 22 young men over 4 weeks. None isolates the wall angel.
Studies found no link between shoulder blade muscle strength and where the shoulder blades sit at rest. In 20 people, 6 weeks of stretching and strengthening made the upper trunk more upright but didn't change resting shoulder blade position.
Upper-back rounding didn't differ between people with and without shoulder pain (10 studies). Adults with neck pain held the head a little further forward on average in snapshot studies, adolescents didn't. In 686 young people followed from 17 to 22, slumped sitting didn't predict neck pain, and in young women went with less of it; neck bending while texting didn't predict neck pain in 396 adults.
The CSP says "There is no perfect posture or right or wrong desk set up" and that posture plays a much smaller role in neck problems than previously thought; an NHS trust leaflet says "There is NO 'correct' posture"; NHS inform says your posture "doesn't need to be perfect". Most physiotherapists still pick upright postures, despite little evidence for them.
The NHS shoulder and neck pain pages, both past their review dates, still advise standing up straight with your shoulders down and gently back. That's self-care advice, not evidence that posture causes pain.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and slide your arms along the floor in the same W-to-Y path. The floor supports you, so it's the easier version and suits a stiff upper back (our editorial view). Later in pregnancy, avoid lying flat on your back for more than a few minutes, as the NHS advises.
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Sitting tall on a stool with your back to the wall. It's been used as a test of shoulder and upper-back mobility.
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A light loop band round your wrists or elbows, pressed gently outwards as you slide. In wall slides it raised serratus activity.
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Lying face down, sweep your arms from your sides to overhead with your thumbs up and your chest lifted a little. It's harder, because your arms work against gravity. The closest 3D demo is prone swimmers (the move page's dose: 4 or 5 slow circles, 2 rounds), and Y-T-W raises are the next step.
Forearms on the wall in front of you, slide your arms up. NHS inform uses it for shoulder problems: start with 2 or 3 reps, add 1 or 2 every few days, work up to 8 two or three times a day, and do no more than 2 sets of 15, keeping pain at 5 out of 10 or less and no worse the next morning.
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Table slides for a very stiff or sore shoulder, 10 slow repetitions, 1 to 3 times a day (the move page's dose). Wall angels, 8 slow slides, building to 2 sets of 10 to 15 (our editorial starting point; no move page dose). Prone Y-T-W raises, 5 to 8 of each letter, 2 rounds (our rounded shoulders guide), and prone swimmers, 4 or 5 slow circles, 2 rounds (the move page's dose). Band pull-aparts and face pulls, 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 (our rounded shoulders guide). Floor and band angels have no 3D demo.
8 slow slides, 1 or 2 sets, as our posture guides and upper back mobility routine use (our editorial starting point; the move page gives no dose).
Towards 2 sets of 8 to 10 (our upper back pain plan), then 2 or 3 sets of 10 to 15, 3 days a week, as in the programmes that included them. Add 2 or 3 second holds at the top before adding a band.
2 or 3 times a week as part of shoulder blade work, or daily as a movement break if you like. No study shows daily is better; popular pages range from once a week to 2 or 3 times a day.
30 to 60 seconds between sets, or pair them with rows (our editorial starting point).
Posture trials ran 3 to 16 weeks, as our rounded shoulders guide says. Judge progress by how you feel and move, not by a photo.
The commonest fault, as our move page says. Bend your knees, step out a little, and breathe out as you slide up.
Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears; the upper trapezius is already fairly busy in this drill.
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Your shoulder blades should turn up and tilt back as your arms go overhead, as they did in a motion study of the overhead press. Let them, as our overhead press guide says.
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Let your head rest where it's comfortable, as our pregnancy Pilates workout cues it, rather than tipping your chin up.
About 3 or 4 seconds up and down, as if spreading something thick.
Stop lower, and see the warning signs below.
Foam roller thoracic extension, 5 to 8 slow breaths at each of 3 or 4 spots (the move page's dose; skip it with osteoporosis, as our upper back pain plan says). Side-lying open books, 8 to 10 slow openings each side, and thoracic rotations, 6 each side (the move pages' doses). The doorway chest opener, 30 seconds each side with your elbow at or below shoulder height (our shoulder mobility and stability routine). The push-up plus, 2 to 3 sets of 10 on a wall or bench first (our rounded shoulders guide). Band rows, 3 sets of 10 to 15 (the move page's dose). Chin tucks, 10 (our upper back mobility routine), and seated upper-back lifts, 3 to 5 held for 3 to 5 seconds (the move page's dose).
3D demoFoam roller thoracic extensionBeginner · A foam roller
3D demoSide-lying open bookBeginner · No equipment
3D demoThoracic rotationBeginner · No equipment
3D demoDoorway chest openerBeginner · A wall
3D demoScapular push-up (push-up plus)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoChin tuckBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSeated upper-back lift (sit tall, shoulders back)Beginner · A bench or boxThe upper back mobility routine pairs wall angels with chin tucks, Y-T-W raises and band pull-aparts in 12 minutes; the others use them at 6 to 8 or 8 slow slides.
A 12-minute routine for a stiff upper back and rounded shoulders: chin tucks, wall angels, Y-T-W raises and open books.
12 minBeginner8 movesA foam roller, A wallA 30-minute routine for a rounded upper back in later life, built from the SHEAF trial: floor back-strengthening, posture practice and gentle mobility.
30 minBeginner13 movesA bench or box, A wallA 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.
25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A bandDeep neck holds and shoulder-blade strength in under 20 minutes: one of the best-supported kinds of exercise for a stiff, sore neck.
18 minBeginner11 movesA band, An anchor pointA 20-minute Pilates routine for posture: breathing, head and shoulder-blade control, back strength and upper-back mobility, with no loaded rounding.
20 minBeginner13 movesA wall, A bandA 20-minute beginner wall Pilates workout: standing and floor moves that use a wall for support and feedback. No equipment.
20 minBeginner9 movesA wallA 30-minute practice session for the overhead press: check your overhead reach, groove it with a band and seated dumbbells, then press the empty bar.
30 minBeginner9 movesA band, A wallIn 8 trials of 387 people with pain at the top of the shoulder, shoulder blade exercise eased pain a little more than standard physiotherapy (about 1 point out of 10). Other reviews found the benefit small and short-term, gone by 3 months in one and low to very low certainty across 14 studies, and exercise didn't reliably change how the shoulder blade sits or moves. Wall angels themselves haven't been tested for shoulder pain.
Keep shoulder pain to about 5 out of 10 or less during the exercise, back to its usual level by your next session, as our shoulder guides advise. A sharp pinch means lower, lighter or stop.
With shoulder impingement, the NHS says not to carry on with activities that involve repeatedly lifting your arm above your head, so slide only as high as is comfortable. Our frozen shoulder plan brings wall angels in at 2 sets of 8 once the shoulder is only mildly irritable.
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Use a small range below any pinch, within the shoulder rule; follow our shoulder impingement or frozen shoulder guide.
After a recent shoulder dislocation, or shoulder or elbow surgery, follow your surgical team's limits first.
After breast or heart surgery, follow your team's limits on lifting your arms overhead.
Use a small range, or the floor version, as our kyphosis workout does.
Standing or seated later in pregnancy, rather than lying on your back.
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If you get chest pain or pressure, feel faint or dizzy, are unusually breathless, or your heart races or beats irregularly during exercise, as our plans advise. The American Heart Association says these need immediate medical evaluation.
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For chest pain that comes on suddenly and doesn't go away, feels tight or like squeezing, spreads to your arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness; arm pain that comes on suddenly with pressure, heaviness or squeezing across your chest; severe difficulty breathing, or a chest that feels tight or heavy; someone who faints while exercising; palpitations that don't go away, or come with chest pain, shortness of breath or feeling faint; or a headache that starts suddenly and is extremely painful, especially while lifting or straining. The NHS says a bleed on the brain may be more likely when lifting something heavy. Don't drive yourself to A&E.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for a headache that's triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing, bending down or exercising.
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Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for sudden or very bad shoulder pain; not being able to move your arm; a shoulder or arm that has changed shape or is badly swollen; pins and needles that don't go away; or pain that started after an injury or accident, like a fall. In the US, contact your doctor or urgent care. See a GP if shoulder pain is getting worse or hasn't improved after 2 weeks. While your shoulder is sore, the NHS says not to make up your own strenuous exercises or use heavy gym equipment.
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See a GP if neck pain comes with other symptoms, like pins and needles or a cold arm, as the NHS says. NHS inform advises an urgent GP appointment for clumsiness in your hands, or numbness, pins and needles or weakness that's getting worse in one or both arms.
Stop if your fingers tingle or go numb: that's a nerve, not a tired muscle, as our grip strength guide says.
See a GP if back pain is coming from the top of your back, between your shoulders, as the NHS advises. With osteoporosis, a new or worsening hunch, lost height or sudden upper-back pain can mean a spinal fracture: see a GP (our kyphosis guide).
Speak to your GP first if you haven't exercised for some time or have medical conditions or concerns, as the NHS advises. Get advice before hard or straining work if your blood pressure is uncontrolled (140/90 or higher at a clinic, or 135/85 at home), or you have heart disease or chest pain when you're active, a pacemaker or defibrillator, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, a hernia, recent eye or tummy surgery, or you're pregnant, as our breathing guide lists.
With controlled high blood pressure, the American Heart Association considers low- to moderate-intensity strength training with proper breathing safe. Breathe out as you lift, as our breathing guide advises.
With a pacemaker or defibrillator, the American Heart Association asks you to check with your doctor before upper-body strength training, because repeated arm movements can damage or dislodge the leads.
No trial has tested them on their own. Programmes that include upper-back strengthening change posture measures a little over weeks, but strength doesn't set where your shoulder blades sit at rest, and pain didn't clearly change. They're a reasonable part of a programme, not a fix.
As a general claim, no: upper-back rounding isn't linked to shoulder pain, and slumped sitting and texting posture didn't predict later neck pain in two cohorts.
"There is no perfect posture", the CSP says, and an NHS trust leaflet agrees. Changing position often matters more than finding one.
Your shoulder blades should turn up as your arms rise overhead. Keep your shoulders away from your ears, but let the blades move.
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One popular page suggests this; we found no evidence for it. Keep shoulder pain within the shoulder rule and stop below a pinch.
Most people lose contact somewhere. It's a range to work in, not a diagnosis.
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A shoulder blade and upper-back drill done with your back against a wall: your arms bent in a W, the backs of your forearms on the wall, sliding up towards a Y and back down. They're the easiest step of our shoulder blade ladder.
Stand with your back, head and bottom against a wall, feet a short step out, knees soft. Slide your arms up the wall only as far as your wrists and elbows stay on it, then slowly back down, without arching your lower back or shrugging.
They take your shoulders and upper back through overhead range while your shoulder blade muscles work gently: in one study the lower trapezius worked at about 22% of its maximum and the serratus at 16 to 20%. Face-down raises work those muscles harder.
The muscles that turn and steady your shoulder blades, the serratus anterior and the middle and lower trapezius, with the upper trapezius fairly busy, and the muscles that turn your shoulders outwards. A band raises the serratus work.
Not on their own, as far as anyone has tested. Strengthening programmes change posture measures a little over weeks, but their effect on pain is very uncertain, and no trial has tested wall angels alone. Our rounded shoulders guide has a fuller programme.
They're a reasonable part of a programme with rows, Y-T-W raises and band pull-aparts, as our posture guides use them. Expect small changes over weeks rather than a quick fix, and remember posture isn't a reliable cause of pain.
Getting your arms to the wall needs your shoulder blades to draw back and your upper back to straighten, and most people lose contact somewhere. Step your feet out, slide only as high as your wrists stay on, sit down, or try them lying on the floor.
Start with 8 slow slides, 1 or 2 sets, 2 or 3 times a week or daily as a movement break. Programmes that included them used 2 or 3 sets of 10 to 15, 3 days a week, for 6 to 12 weeks; there's no evidence that daily is better.
Wall angels face away from the wall, with your back against it; wall slides face the wall with your forearms on it. Wall slides work the serratus about as much as a wall push-up plus, and more as your arms rise, and NHS inform uses them for shoulder problems.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and slide your arms along the floor in the same W-to-Y path. The floor supports you, so they're the easier version; later in pregnancy, avoid lying flat for more than a few minutes.
They haven't been tested for it. Shoulder blade exercise helps shoulder pain a little in the short term, so keep the slide below any pinch and within our shoulder rule, and follow our shoulder impingement guide.
No. Effort or a stretch in your upper back and shoulders is normal; a sharp pinch at the top of your shoulder, or pins and needles in your arms, means stop lower and check the warning signs on this page.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
