Wall angels are slow arm slides up and down a wall, with your back, head and arms against it. They combine shoulder blade control, upper back mobility and a check of your head position, so they show quickly how far forward your head and shoulders sit. Many people find them hard at first, which is the point.
How to do wall angels
- Stand with your back against a wall, feet about 15 cm in front of it, knees soft.
- Press your lower back gently toward the wall, and bring the back of your head to touch it, chin level.
- Raise your arms to a goalpost position: upper arms out to the sides, elbows bent at 90°, backs of the hands toward the wall.
- Slowly slide your arms up as far as you can while keeping contact, then back down to the goalpost.
- Do 8 to 10 slow repetitions.
Easier and harder
| Version | How |
|---|---|
| Easier | Stand further from the wall, or do it lying on your back on the floor |
| Standard | As above, keeping head, upper back and arms in contact |
| Harder | Pause 3 seconds at the top and bottom, or hold light weights lying on the floor |
How often
8 to 10 repetitions, once a day or as part of the five-minute desk routine. Expect the range to improve over a few weeks.
What the evidence shows
Wall angels have not been tested on their own. They are a common part of the combined strengthening and mobility programmes that improved forward head, rounded shoulders and upper back rounding in a 2024 meta-analysis.1 For neck pain in desk workers, strengthening has the stronger evidence, so pair wall angels with scapular retraction or face pulls.2
Useful for mobility and control as part of a programme; not a standalone fix.1
Common mistakes
- Arching the lower back to keep the arms on the wall. Keep the ribs down.
- Lifting the chin to get the head to the wall. Slide the head back instead, as in a chin tuck.
- Forcing the range. Go only as high as you can with contact.
Who should take care
If you cannot get the back of your head to the wall comfortably, do not force it; use the floor version. Stop and get advice if an exercise causes sharp pain, pain spreading into an arm, numbness, tingling or dizziness. Mild muscle effort and a gentle stretch are normal.
How it fits a wider plan: rounded shoulders.
Footnotes
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The effect of various therapeutic exercises on forward head posture, rounded shoulder, and hyperkyphosis among people with upper crossed syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2024. ↩
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Workplace-based interventions for neck pain in office workers: systematic review and meta-analysis. 2018. ↩
General information, not medical advice. Every claim carries its source; where the evidence is thin, the page says so.Editorial policy · How we grade evidence · All sources · Disclaimer