Staying on top of your shoulder and arm mobility is important to avoid injury, support improved physical performance, and maintain an overall healthy lifestyle. Here are 5 tips that can help you achieve better shoulder and arm mobility:
1. Warm-up
Warm up before any exercise or activity. Warm up by doing dynamic stretching such as arm circles, jumping jacks, and shoulder rolls. This will help to prepare your body for more intense physical activity by increasing circulation, lubricating joints, and aiding in overall flexibility.
Without a proper warm up, your body is more prone to injury due to lack of circulation, lubrication, and flexibility. Without dynamic stretching before engaging in physical activity, your muscles can become tight and inflexible leading to strains or tears.
Your muscles are less responsive to the stress of exercise when they are not properly warmed up and this can lead to shoulder and arm mobility issues.
2. Work On Strength
Strengthen the muscles that support your shoulders and arms with exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, planks, burpees, lunges and squats. This will help improve the stability and mobility of your shoulder and arm joints.
Are you bored with push-ups and pull-ups? Resistance training is an effective way to strengthen arms and shoulders.
Exercises such as shoulder presses, lateral raises, bicep curls, tricep extensions, rows, and pull-ups are all great exercises to improve shoulder and arm strength. These exercises target specific muscles in the arms and shoulders to help improve mobility.
3. Stretching Exercises
Stretch regularly, focusing particularly on postural corrections like shoulder squeezes, child’s pose, shoulder stretching with a band, chest stretches, and more. These stretches should target all muscles around the shoulder area to ensure proper flexibility of these muscles.
Another good way to focus on stretching is by doing Yoga.
Yoga can be a great way to improve shoulder and arm mobility. Yoga poses, such as the Downward Facing Dog, Child’s Pose, and Cat-Cow Pose, are particularly beneficial for stretching out tight muscles in the shoulders and arms. Regular yoga practice can help to increase flexibility and strengthen muscles in the shoulder region.
4. Massage Therapy
Massage therapy can help to improve circulation, reduce inflammation, improve mobility and relax tense muscles. A professional massage therapist can also help target certain areas of your body that need special attention to reduce pain or increase your range of motion.
Don’t be afraid to use all the resources you need to get your motion and mobility back.
5. Visit a Shoulder Specialist
A shoulder specialist is a great resource to use for preventive care in order to avoid injury or pain. They can provide advice on proper posture, stretching routines, strengthening exercises, and massage therapy – all of which can help to prevent future issues. A shoulder specialist can also assess the range of motion in your shoulders and arms and identify any restrictions.
If you are experiencing shoulder pain or injury, it is important to seek professional help. A shoulder specialist can diagnose and treat any underlying condition that may be causing your pain or mobility issues. They can also provide advice on how to prevent future injury or pain.
By following these 5 tips, you can help to improve your shoulder and arm mobility while reducing the risk of injury.
It is important to remember that prevention is better than cure, so always be mindful of how you move and take care of your body. A shoulder specialist can provide invaluable advice on how to keep your shoulders healthy.