Wall Slide

Name: Shoulder Wall Slides: How to Do Them (With Pictures)
Creator: Dr. V. B. Rajendra Prasad
Published: 2026-10-24

Wall slides train the muscles that move and steady the shoulder blades as you raise your arms, and gently open up a stiff upper back. They suit people with rounded shoulders from desk and phone use, and people getting back to overhead movements after shoulder pain. All you need is a wall.

Written by Dr. V. B. Rajendra Prasad, MPT, licensed in the US and UK.

1. Back, head and arms against the wall, elbows bent like a W

2. Slide your arms up the wall as far as is comfortable, then back down

How to do it

1
Stand with your back against a wall, feet about a hand-length away from it and knees slightly bent.
2
Rest your lower back, upper back and head against the wall, without straining.
3
Place your arms against the wall in a W shape, elbows bent and at about shoulder height, backs of the hands towards the wall.
4
Slowly slide your arms up the wall, keeping them in contact as much as is comfortable. Stop before your lower back starts to arch or the arms come away.
5
Hold for 2 to 3 seconds, then slide back down to the W, drawing the shoulder blades down.

How many

8 to 10 slow repetitions, 2 sets, once a day.

Common mistakes

Arching the lower back away from the wall to get the arms higher. Bend the knees a little more and slide less far.

Shrugging the shoulders up towards the ears.

Forcing the hands to touch the wall. Many people cannot at first, and that is fine.

Rushing. The slow return is part of the exercise.

Make it easier

Face the wall instead and slide your forearms up it, which is easier on a stiff shoulder. Or work in a smaller range.

Make it harder

Hold at the top for 5 seconds. Later, face the wall with a light resistance band around the forearms and keep it stretched as you slide up.

Who it helps

Rounded shoulders and slouched posture

Shoulder pain when lifting the arm

Upper back stiffness

Desk and IT workers

Getting back to pressing and overhead work at the gym

When to stop and check

Wall slides need a fair amount of shoulder movement, so in frozen shoulder and after shoulder surgery they come later in the programme. Follow your physiotherapist's plan. Stop if you feel pinching or sharp pain in the shoulder, or pins and needles in the hands.

Not sure these are the right exercises for you? A physiotherapist can assess you on a video call and build a programme around your problem, guiding each exercise and correcting your form in live sessions.

Get a personal programme

Frequently asked questions

Are wall slides the same as wall angels?

Yes, the two names are used for the same exercise, sometimes with small differences in arm position. The aim is the same: raise the arms smoothly while the back stays against the wall.

Why can my hands not touch the wall?

Tight chest muscles, a stiff upper back or a stiff shoulder can all stop the hands reaching the wall. Work in the range you have. It often improves over a few weeks.

Online physiotherapy: Shoulder Pain and Rotator Cuff Online physiotherapy: Neck Pain and Cervical Spondylosis Shoulder Pain from Bench Press or Overhead Press: Why It Happens and How to Keep Training Physiotherapy for Desk Workers and Software Engineers Shoulder pain self-check

More neck and shoulder exercises

Chin Tuck Shoulder Blade Squeeze Pendulum Exercise Wall Finger Walk Towel Shoulder Stretch Upper Trapezius Stretch All exercises

Written by Dr. V. B. Rajendra Prasad, MPT. Licensed to practice in the US (NY state) and UK (HCPC).
20 years of clinical experience. About Dr. Rajendra