As someone who is active and enjoys working out, shoulder mobility is essential to avoid painful movements. Whether you’re a weightlifter, runner or swimmer, having tight or immobile shoulders can bring your fitness routine to a halt. We’ve compiled a list of our preferred shoulder mobility exercises to help you evade shoulder injuries and boost flexibility.
Why Are Should Mobility Exercises Important/Needed?
You may not realize it, but your shoulders are pivotal to your overall physical well-being. They are involved in almost every upper body movement you make, from simple actions like reaching for a glass of water to more complex movements like lifting weights. Unfortunately, many of us take our shoulder health for granted until an injury or ailment affects our ability to perform everyday tasks. To prevent this, incorporating shoulder mobility exercises is key. Read on to learn why shoulder mobility exercises are so important and how partnering with a personal trainer can assist you in attaining optimal mobility.
Improved Posture – One of the biggest benefits of shoulder mobility exercises is they can improve your posture. Modern lifestyle factors like prolonged sitting and hunching over a keyboard can cause our shoulders to slump forward, leading to a rounded back and tight chest. Subsequently, this can lead to chronic pain and discomfort. By performing exercises like shoulder blade retraction, you can strengthen the muscles responsible for stabilizing your shoulders, which will lead to better posture and decreased discomfort.
Increased Range of Motion – Shoulder mobility exercises can contribute to increasing your range of motion. This is especially important for athletes or anyone who performs weight-bearing exercises. When you increase your range of motion, you’ll be able to perform exercises with better form, leading to more significant gains in strength and endurance.
Pain Reduction – If you are dealing with shoulder pain, incorporating shoulder mobility exercises can aid in the reduction of pain. By increasing your shoulder’s range of motion and strengthening the surrounding muscles, you’ll be able to execute day-to-day activities more comfortably.
Prevention of Injury – Regular shoulder mobility exercises can prevent the incidence of shoulder injuries in the long run. When you strengthen the muscle, it becomes less prone to injury, making it less likely to suffer from a shoulder injury.
Personal Trainer Assistance
Training under the guidance of a personal trainer will have powerful results for your shoulder mobility. Personal trainers can provide you with a personalized exercise plan specific to your shoulder’s needs, which will give you a much better shot at achieving your goals, whether it is to perform better in sports or live pain-free.
8 Shoulder Mobility Exercises to Try
If you have ever experienced shoulder discomfort or tightness, you know how difficult it can be to stay active and strong. Thankfully, there are a few simple exercises to boost your range of motion and reduce pain in the shoulders. Our team is dedicated to helping Wellbridge Athletic Clubs’ customers improve their shoulder mobility with eight easy-to-follow exercises:
- Shoulder Dislocates: Using a resistance band, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the band behind your back with a grip wider than your shoulders. Raise the band over your head and bring it down in front of you, keeping your arms straight. Shoulder dislocates are an excellent exercise for warming up your shoulder joints, improving shoulder mobility and stretching the chest.
- Crossover Symmetry: This equipment is a shoulder activation, mobility and strengthening tool. Perform 8-10 reps of each movement with resistance bands. Crossover symmetry provides a comprehensive approach to shoulder mobility and can be useful for various fitness levels and activity types.
- Wall Slides: Standing with your back against a wall and your arms in a wide, open position, slide your arms up and down the wall. This exercise stretches your chest and relaxes your shoulder blades, keeping tightness away from the shoulders. You can do this mobility exercise before lifting or stand every hour for those who work all day at a desk.
- Thoracic Spine Mobility: Poor thoracic spine mobility restricts your shoulders’ ability to move freely, limiting overhead movements, such as pulling and pushing. Sit cross-legged on a mat and place a foam roller under your thoracic spine. Lift your hips off the ground, keeping your head and shoulders on the mat. Slowly roll the foam roller up and down your upper back, creating flexion and extension of your spine.
- Scapular Wall Angels: You can do these by standing or sitting with your back touching a wall. You start with your arms in a W shape at shoulder level and then bring them overhead and back down slowly. Doing 3 sets of 10 will help stabilize the shoulder girdle while improving the mobility of the shoulder blades, preventing future injuries.
- Mobility Ball on the Pecs: With a mobility ball, place it on your pecs and lean your chest against the wall. This exercise helps improve overhead mobility, tear down adhesions, break down muscles and improve circulation around your joint, making the shoulder stable and strong.
- Cubicle Wall Slides: This exercise is similar to the wall slides but is performed with the cubicle wall of your office. Stand facing the cubicle wall, start with your arms in a W shape and slide your hands up, palms up, to touch the wall above your head. Move back down to the height of your shoulders and repeat for 10-12 repetitions. This shoulder mobility exercise can be done throughout the day and will help prevent stiffness and pain in the shoulders.
- Posterior Shoulder Stretch: When you do physical activity, the posterior shoulder muscles, such as your deltoids and rotator muscles, tend to get tight. With this stretch, extend one arm across your body and pull it towards your chest, holding it for a few seconds. You can hold it with your other arm or use a towel. Repeat for the other arm, and this will help release tension and improve flexibility.
Visit a Wellbridge Athletic Club and Start Working with a Personal Trainer Today!
Incorporating shoulder mobility exercises into your workout routine can help improve your shoulder range of motion and overall physical movement. However, knowing which exercise works best for your specific needs can be challenging. Consulting with a personal trainer helps you get by this roadblock. Book a session with one of our trainers at a Wellbridge Athletic Club who will assess your mobility limitations, create a customized exercise plan and guide you through your mobility exercises. Contact one of the Wellbridge family of clubs and say goodbye to painful movements today.