Locomotive: Rolling Circles for the Upper Back and Rear Cuff

The name comes from the rolling motion of train wheels. Your arms move in slow, forward circles, and one arm guides the other. The movement works two areas.

The first is the thoracic extensors. These are the muscles along your upper back that help you stand tall. The second is the back of the rotator cuff. The infraspinatus and teres minor sit here, and they help turn the arm outward.

Your shoulder blade rests on your rib cage, so the upper back sets the position your shoulder works from.

• Strength, mobility and posture are each linked with shoulder pain and disability in adults over 60. Those are associations, not proof of cause, and no study has tested this movement [R28].
• Programs that teach control and coordination may reduce disability a little more than generic exercise [R02].
• Official guidance says every move counts. Adults 65 and over are encouraged to do activity that builds strength and balance at least three days a week [R07].

1. Sit tall. Use an armchair with back support. Relax your shoulders and keep your feet flat on the floor.
2. Hold the trainer comfortably. Follow the lesson for hand position. Let one arm lead, slowly, while the other follows.
3. Make one small, slow forward circle. Think of a train wheel turning. Stop well before you feel any pinch or strain.
4. Keep the upper back long. Do not hunch forward to make the circle bigger. Smaller and smoother is better.
5. Repeat a few times, then rest. Build up across weeks, not days. Standing is an option once seated feels easy, with feet hip-width apart.