Walk of the Week: Shoulder Reset & Walk

🔥 Spice Level: Low Heat (mild movement, big benefits)

⏳ Total Time: Walkers' Choice (Minimum 27 minutes)

🔥 Estimated Burn: ~200-250 calories (based on a 27-minute walk, varies by pace and intensity)

This week's walk isn’t about speed or incline—woo! Instead, we’re focusing on light shoulder, upper back, and arm toning to ease tension and improve mobility.

✅ Perfect for:

• Anyone dealing with tight shoulders (estimated to be ~100% of the adult population).
• Those of us who like constant movement to stay focused on a workout.
• People who sit at a desk or hunch over their phones and want to ease upper back tension.

Mixing light shoulder work into your walk a couple of times a week can help reduce stiffness, improve mobility, and keep your shoulders and upper back feeling more relaxed.

💡 Try this on a treadmill! Moving through these exercises minute by minute makes time fly—before you know it, you’ve hit 30 minutes!

The Routine

🚶 Warm-up (5–10 minutes)

Start with a steady-paced walk to get started.

💪 Walk + Light Shoulder Work (17+ minutes)

Find a challenging but sustainable pace, then cycle through this routine 3x with a 1-minute rest between sets:

1️⃣ Arm Circles (Clockwise) – 1 minute

• Extend arms straight out to your sides.
• Make small, controlled circles forward for the full minute.

2️⃣ Arm Circles (Counterclockwise) – 1 minute

• Reverse direction—circle backward for another full minute.

3️⃣ Goal Posts – 1 minute

• Raise your arms to a goal post position (elbows bent at 90°, arms in line with shoulders).
• Rotate your arms forward until elbows are at chest level, then raise them back up.
• Keep the movement controlled and focus on alignment.

4️⃣ Gate Keepers – 1 minute

• Start in the goal post position (elbows at 90°).
• Bring arms toward the midline (as if closing a gate), then return to the open position.
• Keep elbows lifted and movement steady.

5️⃣ Prayer Pulses – 1 minute

• Keep elbows at shoulder height and bring hands together in a prayer position (fists clenched).
• Pulse hands up toward the ceiling —you’ll quickly feel the burn! 🔥
• Stay strong and controlled throughout.

🧘♀️ Cooldown (5–10 minutes)

If you're feeling good, add extra time to keep the movement going. If you’re ready to cool it down, ease back into a comfortable pace for 5-10 minutes.

Why It Works:

✔ Keeps you moving – If you struggle to focus during strength workouts, while it’s not a replacement for a strength routine, this adds low-key toning while you walk, keeping both your body and brain engaged.

✔ Opens up tight shoulders – Hunched posture from screens = stiff, rounded shoulders. These moves loosen things up so you stand taller and feel better.

✔ Reduces upper back tension – This undoes that tight, compressed feeling from sitting all day, by gently strengthening and mobilizing your back and shoulders.

✔ Time flies – Walking + mini strength moves = no boredom. It’s perfect for the easily distracted (we see you 👀).