Wall Slides

MobilityBW

Standing or seated drill sliding the arms up and down a wall in contact, training coordinated scapular upward rotation with shoulder flexion — a rehab and warmup staple.

Demo: Physical therapy demo channel

Sets

2

Reps

10-12

Rest

30s

Contraindications

Acute shoulder impingement — reduce range to pain-free zone only.

Setup

Stand with back against a wall, forearms and hands in contact with the wall, elbows bent to roughly 90 degrees.

Execution

  1. 1Slide the arms up the wall as high as possible while maintaining contact
  2. 2Keep the low back flat against the wall, avoid arching
  3. 3Slide back down with control to the starting position
  4. 4Repeat for reps, focusing on quality of scapular movement over range

Key cues

  • Keep the low back pinned flat against the wall
  • Maintain wall contact at the forearms as long as possible
  • Move slow to feel the shoulder blades rotate
  • Don't shrug the shoulders up toward the ears

Common faults

  • Arching the low back off the wall to gain fake range
  • Losing wall contact early and turning it into a normal raise
  • Shrugging instead of rotating the scapula properly
  • Moving too fast to control the pattern

Tweaks

  • Perform against a foam roller on the floor for a supine variant
  • Add light band resistance for scapular strengthening
  • Progress to standing away from the wall holding the same pattern

Progressions

Band Pass-Through

Muscles

Primary: Serratus Anterior, Lower Trapezius

Secondary: Rotator Cuff, Thoracic Erectors

Notes

Frequently prescribed post-shoulder-injury and for desk workers with rounded posture.

Sources

Attribution: Common physical therapy / rehab staple