Shoulder pains from exercise?

Inflammation and rotator cuffs

One of the most common injuries when exercising is developing pain in the shoulders. This is most often due to one’s rotator cuffs being inflamed. There is an incredible number of us who simply accept that the pain is in the shoulders, but with the right exercises, it can actually disappear. In this article, we provide you the 5 best exercises so you can avoid having pain in your shoulders from and during training.

It is especially men who experience problems with the shoulders when training with heavy weights and high repetitions. We tend to focus too much on the upper body and especially on the muscles we can see on the front of the body. We go for the classic triangular shape, with large pectoral muscles, shoulders, and arms. One of the key points that connect all those muscles is our rotator cuffs, so it’s no wonder they often get irritated.

Here we have gathered the best exercises that you can incorporate into your training routine. The exercises should be performed before you start your workout and are especially important to perform before chest, shoulder, and arm workouts.

Most gyms have elastics, otherwise, they can be purchased online for little to no money. The elastics are better than using weights because there are more exercises, but most importantly because they pull the opposite way which give the tendons a natural movement.

Exercise 1: Elastic over the head

Take an elastic band and wrap it around a machine or a weight rack that is at approximate chest height or slightly below. Find a position where the elastic is tight and the arms stretched out, as shown in the drawing. Bend slowly at the elbows so the arms are at 90 degrees, then return to the first position. Repeat 10-15 times or until your muscles feel the burn. Repeat 3 times.

Exercise 2: Elastic pull with straight arms

Same starting position as the last exercise. This time the arms are kept completely straight and they are moved from an extended position down along the side of the body. The exercise should be felt in the shoulders, so practice not activating other muscle groups. Repeat 10-15 times or until your muscles feel the burn. Repeat 3 times.

Exercise 3: Close the door

You now stand with the side to the elastic and take it in one of your hands. Here it is important to find the right distance to the elastic so that the movement is not too difficult. The arm is taken out to the side and the movement is started towards the abdomen. Repeat 10-15 times or until your muscles tire. Repeat 3 times.

Exercise 4: Open the door exercise

In this exercise, it is the opposite movement of the latter. So we start from the inside of the stomach and pull out away from the body. Be sure to keep your elbow locked in the same position and focus on the rotation of the arm. Repeat 10-15 times or until your muscles tire. Repeat 3 times.

Exercise 5. Facepulls

The last exercise we recommend is facepulls. The arms are stretched out and the elastic tight without too much resistance. Now slowly pull up towards the face where it is held for a second after which it is slowly released towards the starting position. Repeat 10-15 times or until your muscles feel the burn. Repeat 3 times.