Shoulder Injury Exercise

When trying to heal a shoulder that has been injured, one of the most important things you can do to ensure quick recovery is to keep it moving. Several exercises focus on the shoulder and the muscles that help support it.

  1. Rotator Cuff Exercise

    • The lateral raise exercise is done using a dumbbell and can be done sitting or standing. Begin with your arms at your sides and your thumbs pointed upward, slowly raise the arms up at about a 30 degree angle to the front of the body until they are level with the shoulders. Repeat 10 times.

    Shoulder Blade Squeeze

    • The shoulder blade squeeze is a great way to stabilize the shoulder and can be done while sitting or standing. Press your shoulders down and back and bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle. Then pull your elbows back, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Repeat three times, holding each time for 10 seconds.

    The Shoulder Press

    • The shoulder press is begun by laying on your back and raising one arm. You then lift the arm higher until shoulder blade is off ground. This exercise should be repeated 10 times and a light dumbbell can be added.

    Isometric Contractions

    • An isometric contraction exercise contracts the muscle by using stationary resistance, such as pushing against a wall. You can begin by standing with the injured shoulder along a wall, placing a pillow between your arm and the wall. You then push your arm into the wall and hold the contraction for 10 seconds repeating 10 to 15 times.

    Shoulder Stretching Exercise

    • The pendulum swing is done by standing and leaning over with your arms hanging. You then swing your arms in small circles, gradually increasing the size of the circles. Repeat 10 times. The towel stretch is done by placing the right hand behind the back and dangling a towel behind the back with the left hand. Next, grab the towel with the right hand and pull the right hand upward so the towel is in a vertical position. Hold for 30 seconds.