5 Exercises to Improve Shoulder Health

Shoulders are the most mobile joint in the human body, offering a wide range of potential movements and positions they can get into during our daily life. The shoulder’s mobility relies on muscles, ligaments, and tendons as a source of stability rather than bone like the hip joint. Due to their nature, the shoulder is also commonly injured, with 18-26% of the population having some shoulder issues at any given moment. To combat this phenomenon, I will provide exercises aimed at improving overall shoulder health and longevity, with some nice side effects of improved posture and increased muscle tone. A good routine to follow with the following exercises is to perform 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions to supplement your current training routine.

Suspension Strap Rows

You want to focus on keeping your body as rigid as possible with this movement to avoid faulty movement patterns. Try holding the top position for a 1- or 2-count to emphasize a stronger contraction in your back and shoulders.

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External Rotation

The key to this movement is to perform each part meticulously and slowly. This exercise works on a few of the rotator cuff muscles, and they are not large muscles; instead, they help provide stability to movements of larger muscles.

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D2 Flexion

This motion will help improve shoulder strength and control in an overhead position. Start with light resistance, and you can build up in strength as you progress.

 

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Lateral Raise

This exercise can get a big training effect on the deltoid muscle and rotator cuff. The most important part of this exercise is to use a range of comfortable motions that you can control. Don’t use momentum to get your arms up into the top position.

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Pull-Apart

Follow the same guidelines as the External Rotation exercise and control all portions of the movement and be sure to squeeze your shoulder blades together hard at the fully contracted position.

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How Physical Therapy Can Help

Whether you are doing these exercises to help improve yourself at an overhead sport or casual weekend warrior looking for some extra help to improve the health of your shoulder, Athletico has the tools to help you excel at whatever your venture is. Schedule your free assessment today to get on the right track. Free Assessments are available in-clinic and virtually through our Telehealth platform.

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The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.

References
1. Linaker CH, Walker-Bone K. Shoulder disorders and occupation. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2015;29(3):405-423. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2015.04.001