Unlocking Freedom of Movement: Effective Shoulder Mobility Exercises

In our increasingly sedentary world, maintaining proper shoulder mobility can be quite difficult. Having said that, your shoulders’ health and function are crucial for executing everyday chores – whether it’s reaching for items on high shelves or performing athletic endeavours. Therefore, it’s essential we are proactive in maintaining high mobility for the present and future; one method is through regular Shoulder mobility exercises.

 

The Importance of Shoulder Mobility

As explained earlier, your shoulders are fundamental for many everyday activities. Their high mobility enables a variety of movements, making it useful in both lifestyle and athletic pursuits. However, with high usage comes a high susceptibility to injury and stiffness, especially if we neglect its care.

In the short-term, the impacts of poor shoulder mobility are discreet; a deteriorating posture is one example. In the long-term, the impacts are more profound; chronic upper body pain and a high susceptibility to straining. These consequences will not only hinder your athletic performances, but also daily errands in your life.

 

Shoulder Mobility Exercises: The Path to Freedom

Let’s explore some effective shoulder exercises that will alleviate these consequences:

·       Forward Shoulder Circles: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms straight to the side. Begin to make medium-sized circles with your arms. This exercise promotes blood flow to the shoulder joints, warming them up.

 

·       Shoulder Blade Squeezes: Sit or stand up straight with your arms by your side. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, holding this position for 3 seconds, then release. This exercise greatly improves your posture.

 

·       Wall Angels: Stand with your back against a wall and your feet six inches away from the wall. With your knees bent, raise your arms to shoulder height and slowly slide them up the wall. Aim to slide them up as far as you can without losing contact with the wall. You should then reverse, lowering your arms back to shoulder height. This exercise simultaneously tests your shoulders’ mobility and endurance.

 

·       External Rotation Stretch: Hold a resistance band with both hands at shoulder height, keeping your elbows bent at 90 degrees. Pull the band apart by rotating your arms outwards, then return to the starting position. This exercise strengthens the rotator cuff muscles, which are responsible for stabilising the shoulder joint.

 

·       Child’s Pose: Resting on your knees, sit back onto your heels and extend your arms forward on the floor. Relax into the stretch and hold for 30 seconds. This exercise is great for relieving tension across your upper body.

 

·       Downwards-Facing Dog: Start in a push-up position, then lift your hips up and push your chest towards your thighs, forming an inverted V-shape. This exercise focuses on shoulder mobility and strength.

 

·       Resistance Band Pull-Aparts: Hold a resistance band in front of you with both arms fully extended. Pull the band apart by moving your arms outwards, and then return to the starting position. This exercise trains your rear deltoids, another muscle responsible for shoulder mobility.

 

Conclusion

Whilst you may currently never feel the impacts of poor shoulder mobility, your future self certainly will. Therefore, it’s important to remain disciplined and perform these exercises with the future in mind; you don’t want to be the player sitting out early because of chronic upper body pain!

Consistency is key! Perform these exercises regularly and listen to your body. If you’re experiencing unusual pain or discomfort, we suggest consulting a healthcare professional for guidance. To kick-start your journey, visit physiofrog.io, where we recommend Shoulder mobility exercises based on your age, sex, and activities played.