Warm-up · Beginner
Elbow Circles
Elbow circles gently move the shoulder joints through their full range of motion, warming up the muscles and tendons before more demanding activity. By placing your hands on your shoulders and rotating your elbows in wide arcs, you lubricate the joints and loosen the upper back and chest. This is a smart first move before any upper-body exercise, and it's also a good daily habit if your shoulders tend to feel stiff in the morning.
Category
Warm-up
Difficulty
Beginner
Equipment
Bodyweight
MET
2.3
Primary muscles
The movement
Form cues
- 01
Sit or stand with your feet about hip-width apart and your spine tall — imagine a string gently pulling the top of your head toward the ceiling.
- 02
Place your fingertips on the tops of your shoulders, one hand per shoulder, so your elbows point straight out to the sides.
- 03
Lift both elbows forward and upward to start the circle — think of drawing a big hula-hoop shape in the air with your elbow tips.
- 04
Continue the arc by rolling your elbows up toward your ears, then back behind you, then down, completing a full smooth circle.
- 05
Breathe out as your elbows come forward and up, breathe in as they sweep back and down.
- 06
Keep your hands resting lightly on your shoulders throughout — don't let them slide off or grip tightly.
- 07
Move slowly and deliberately; there is no benefit to rushing this one.
Dosage
How long, how many
Sets
2
Reps
10-12
Rest
30 sec
Watch for
Common mistakes
Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears — if your neck feels crunched, consciously drop your shoulders away from your ears before continuing.
Making tiny circles instead of full ones — if your elbows aren't tracing a circle roughly the size of a dinner plate, you're shortchanging the range of motion.
Holding your breath — if you feel tension building in your neck or face, you've probably stopped breathing; sync your breath to the movement.
Letting one elbow lead while the other lags — watch in a mirror or focus on keeping both elbows moving in sync at the same pace.
Scale it
Easier and harder variations
Easier
Sit in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor so you can focus entirely on the shoulder movement without worrying about balance.
Use this if standing for the full set feels tiring or unsteady.
Harder
After completing circles in one direction, reverse and circle in the opposite direction for the same number of reps, challenging your coordination and covering more range of motion.
Use this once the basic movement feels easy and automatic.
Note
Reduce the size of the circles to a comfortable range and stop if you feel any sharp pinching; small, pain-free circles still deliver benefit.
Use this if you have a rotator cuff issue, frozen shoulder, or recent shoulder surgery — and check with your doctor or physical therapist first.
Sources
Form descriptions and cues are sourced from wger (CC-BY-SA 4.0) and the Free Exercise DB (public domain), edited for the 60+ audience. MET value cites Ainsworth BE, et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43(8):1575-1581.
- free-exercise-db · Unlicense / Public Domain
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