Shoulder Health and Durability Workout Guide

Reduce shoulder pain, improve your posture, and prevent future shoulder problems with this Shoulder Health and Durability routine.

why we created this workout

Shoulder pain, limited or declining range of motion, and bothersome poor posture are common issues. A lot of our clients report a frustrating decline in their ability to move easily and without pain when doing activities like

- reaching overhead,
- swinging a club or racket, and
- reaching behind them.

So, we designed this combination of strengthening and mobility exercises that you can do anywhere, any time without special equipment. This routine will help you fight tightness and weakness in the structures around the shoulder joint, maintain shoulder durability, improve posture and breathing, and create support for your shoulder joints.

How to get the most out of this workout

1. READ

Read the instructions below before trying each exercise.

2. Watch

Watch the video of demonstrations at the end of the instructions.

3. Print

Click on the orange button for the printable, quick reference guide. Place it in your workout space, along with the equipment you’ll use for this routine, or take it along to the gym.

4. Contact

Contact us to schedule a training session, in order to learn each exercise in detail.

Instructions for exercises

1. Internal + external Shoulder rotation

Increasing the range of motion available to your joints allows greater mobility and freedom of movement.

- Start standing with your back against the wall and your upper arm bones parallel to the floor. Press your ribs and the back of your head against the wall.

- Rotate one hand up and the other down, moving in opposite directions and trying to touch the wall with your hands.

- Pause as your hands get near the wall, then switch, moving asymmetrically.

- Repeat the movement for 1-2 minutes.

2. Scapular push ups

Scapular push ups increase strength around your shoulder blades and create support for your shoulder joints.

- Start in a forearm plank with hips dropping down as your thighs lift up. Knees can be on the ground for more support or lifted for more challenge. Keep your neck long and look straight down at the ground.

- Next, try to separate your shoulder blades by pressing firmly through your forearms and lifting gently through your upper back.

- Keep pressing through your forearms as you squeeze your shoulder blades together on your upper back. It is a small movement – just your chest is lifting and lowering. Hips and legs stay fairly still.

- Repeat lifting a lowering 8-10 times.

3. cuban rotation

This exercise improves both strength and range of motion in your shoulders. You can find other variations with a resistance band or dumbbell here.

- Start by lying on your side with your bottom upper arm bone on the floor and that hand in a fist.
- Draw your fist toward the floor as far as possible, then return to your starting point.
- Go the other direction, taking the back of your fist toward the floor. Return to starting position.
- Repeat this exercise 8-10 times on each side.
- For more challenge, use your free hand to resist the movement in your fist, making it difficult to reach the floor and the starting position.

You are half-way through the workout! Here’s a sneak peak of the printable guide… more instructions are below…

Printable guide

4. shoulder Raises

To ensure that these Shoulder Raises increase strength in your traps and mobility in your shoulder blades, focus on the movement coming from your mid to upper back and not just the tops of your shoulders.

- Start by sitting tall on the edge of a chair or bench.

- Reach your arms up, while relaxing your shoulders and shoulder baldes down your back.

- Reach your hands directly up the sky as high as possible and shrug your shoulders up to your ears. Then lower to your starting position.

- Repeat lifting a lowering 8-10 times.

5. prone breast stroke

Strengthening your upper back muscles can make a huge improvement in posture and breath control, and fight the curvature that come from leaning over a desk, a phone, or a steering wheel. We encourage everyone to try some form of Prone Breast Stroke every day.

- Start by lying on your stomach with your forehead pressing into the floor, and your arms reaching forward over the crown of your head, palms down.

- Lift your arms up away from the floor as high as possible. It may not be far at first – that’s fine. Just go as high as you can.
- Sweep your arms out to the sides, keeping them lifted.
- Rotate your thumbs down to the floor and your palms toward the ceiling and continue the sweep until your hands are over your low back. Maybe your thumbs or fingers can touch each other over your low back. Keep lifitng your arms high.
- Reverse the sweep back to your starting point.

- Repeat this exercise 8-10 times.

6. pike shoulder extention

Stretch the front of the shoulder and strengthen the back of the shoulders to improve posture and your ability to reach behind you. You will need a hand towel, broom handle, resistance band, or yoga strap for this one.

- Start standing with feet wide. Take your towel or strap behind your back and hold it with both hands, palms face down.

- Lift the towel as far away from your body as possible while keeping your ribs tucked in, your chest upright and looking straight forward.

- Keep your hands lifted high as you fold forward from the waist. Use a slight bend in your knees and keep your weight balanced over the balls of your feet, so your heels are light on the floor.

- Keep reaching with your hands; now you are reaching for the ceiling or for the floor behind your head. Hold for a few secs.
- Come out slowly, reversing your entrance and keeping your arms lifted as high as possible as your return to standing.
- Repeat 8-10 times.

7. Thoracic Rotation

This exercise opens your chest and upper back for more freedom of movement. This can be done using a bench or by sitting sideways in a chair.

- Start sitting on the edge of a bench, or sideways in a chair. Place both feet flat on the ground and place one fist between your knees.

- Reach the other arm long in front of you at shoulder height.

- Rotate from your waist as far as you can until you are reachng the long arm back behind you. Squeeze both knees into your fist.
- Hold for a few breaths, reaching a bit further with each breath.
- Slowly return to starting position.
- Repeat 8-10 times each side.

See demonstrations of all of the exercises included in this workout in the video below. Also, find more workouts and demonstrations on our YouTube channel.

printable guide

We hope you find this workout guide helpful. Please remember that participation in exercise involves inherent risks and dangers, including the risk of personal injury or health-related issues. By using the TrainMovePlay workout guides, you assume full responsibility for these risks. It is advisable to seek professional medical advice if you have any doubts about your ability to safely participate in these workouts. If needed, you should follow the guidance and restrictions set by your healthcare provider. By using our workout guides, you agree to waive, release, and discharge TrainMovePlay, LLC, its owners, trainers, staff, and affiliates from any claims, liabilities, or demands that may arise from your participation in the workouts, including any claims related to personal injury or loss of property, whether caused by negligence or otherwise. Thank you.

Still unsure about how to get started? No problem! Contact us for a complimentary consultation to sign up for personal training and learn each exercise in detail.

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