KEY AREAS: Shoulders, Arms, Coordination, Reduction of Stress & Tension
START POSITION: Stand up straight with feet placed slightly wider than hip width apart. Rest your hands in front of you on the top of your legs. Bend your knees a little and lean back heavily on your heels (but be sure to keep both feet flat on the floor). Bring your arms out to the sides with shoulders slightly bent and lift your head up to look at the wall in front of you somewhere above your head height.
NOTES: From the start position, move your shoulders back slightly before hurling your arms forwards and upwards (like you are bowling a cricket ball with both arms at the same time). This is a great arm and shoulder warm up exercise. The spinning action of the arms increases blood flow and circulation to the arms. The shoulders will quickly become more flexible and warm, and so this is an essential warmup for any arm or shoulder session. Your fingers should just brush against each other as you start the downwards sweep. Concentrate on spinning your arms from the shoulders, keeping elbows slightly bent and static. Keep your knees slightly bent and try to start spinning a little faster until you feel a natural rocking motion backwards and forwards from heels to toes. Depending on your body type, you may find that your toes and/or heels raise up off the floor as you rock backwards and forwards – this is ok, but you should focus on leaning your weight backwards on your heels.
Some younger or fitter athletes may like to reverse the motion of this exercise so you are spinning your arms back the other way, however I do not recommend doing this alternative form for beginners or for those with shoulder problems. The former spin is safer than the latter spin due to the latter spin placing extra stresses on the shoulders.
If in doubt, consult a coach or a Doctor, or just skip the latter form and move on to the next exercise.