The Shoulder is a complex joint, and as such, it needs to move in many directions. A Shoulder warm-up should be considered before any exercise or sport. It can even help prevent injury by reducing the risk of overstretching muscles not warmed up properly. Shoulder problems are very common, but just by working on a few simple arm warm-ups and rotator cuff warm-up exercises that require no equipment, you can prevent or fix the majority of issues.
The Shoulder is a highly complex joint with many muscles and tendons that can quickly become strained or injured. Shoulder problems are also very common in fitness enthusiasts, but working on a few simple exercises for the rotator cuff and upper back muscles can prevent most issues. Here we bring you 7 of our favorites:
7 Best Shoulder Warm Up Exercises to Fix or Prevent injury
Shoulder Circles:
- Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Gently lift your shoulders, slowly circle them forward, and reverse the circles.
- Do ten reps in each direction.
Shoulder Rotations:
- Stand up straight and lift both shoulders towards your ears, then slowly rotate them down across your body until they are as far down as possible.
- Hold for three seconds before rotating them back up to the starting position.
- Do ten reps.
Shoulder Blade Pinches:
- Stand or sit with your shoulders relaxed and your arms at your sides.
- Slowly lift your shoulder blades off of your ribcage and hold for two seconds before releasing them.
- Repeat fifteen times.
Doorway Shoulder Stretch:
- Stand in a doorway with your arms at shoulder height, and your elbows bent to 90 degrees.
- Step through the door frame to face into the room and lean forward, keeping your back straight until you feel a stretch in your shoulders.
- Hold for thirty seconds before repeating on the other side.
Shoulder Blade Retractions:
- Stand or sit with your shoulders relaxed and your arms at your sides.
- Slowly lift both shoulder blades off your ribcage as far as they will go, hold for two seconds before relaxing again.
- Repeat fifteen times.
Seated Half Moon Pose:
- Sit on a chair or bench, turn to one side, and put your weight on your arm.
- Fully extend it out in front of you, pointing towards the ceiling before slowly rotating over to the other side until you see behind yourself.
- Hold for five seconds, then repeat on both sides ten times each.
Shoulder Stretch:
- Stand up straight with one hand against a wall or sturdy object for balance.
- Reach up with your other arm and hold it as high as possible, keeping your elbow straight.
- Gently lean into the wall until you feel a stretch down the outside of that Shoulder, then hold for thirty seconds before repeating on the other side.
If you suffer from tight or niggling shoulder injuries, these Shoulder warm-up exercises are for you. Perform them before any exercise or sport and can even help prevent injury by reducing the risk of overstretching muscles that are not warmed up properly. Shoulder problems are very common, but just by working on a few simple arm warm-ups and rotator cuff warm-up exercises that require no equipment, you can prevent or fix the majority of issues. So, what are you waiting for? Get started today!