The shoulder joint is one that we don’t think about as often, compared to the better-known hip or knee joint, but your shoulder is actually one of the largest and most complex joints in the entire human body! Unfortunately, with complexity comes more opportunity for things to go wrong, which is exactly why it’s so important to strengthen the shoulder joint and the muscles around it. By strengthening the muscles around a joint, you increase that joint’s stability, as it’s better supported by your muscular strength. More stability allows us to strengthen our muscles around the joint, without putting that joint in a compromised position that could lead to injury. Strengthening your joints promotes a positive cycle for strong, healthy joints!
In addition to strength, it’s also important to focus on building mobility of the shoulder joint by completing a full range of motion. This allows you to train at both end ranges of motion, where stability might not be as great. The ability to move and control weight throughout a range of motion is known as mobility, so doing this type of joint work directly improves our mobility. Fun fact: a common misconception about mobility is that it is directly related to flexibility. Flexibility is your body’s passive ability to lengthen muscles. This means that you can get muscles to lengthen while applying force such as a static or still stretch. Mobility, on the other hand, is the body’s ability to control weight through a range of motion.So strengthening joints and improving your range of motion isn’t about how flexible you are — it’s about how mobile you are.
The best way to build mobility and strength for healthy shoulders is to add some of the following exercises into your program. Many mobility exercises can be integrated into your warm-up to make sure you are still being efficient with your time. Other movements may be paired with some other movements in your workout. If you have any questions on where to add shoulder mobility exercises into your workout, stop in your local Anytime Fitness and work with a coach!
You may notice that there are no shoulder presses or rows in this list. Shoulder presses, rows, and variations of the overhead press are great for building strength and should be a staple in most exercise programs. The following exercises were picked as additional complements to your program to ensure you are always improving shoulder health! If you have had shoulder injuries in the past, check in with your doctor to make sure these exercises are right for you.
Shoulder Mobility Circles with Band
We love adding this one as part of our warm-up routine on arm day.
- Hold a resistance band in front of you with your palms down.
- Keep the arms straight and comfortably spread in a loose “V” shape.
- Keeping your shoulders at the same angle, raise your arms above and over your head.
- The wider your hands, the easier the mobility demands, but the more tension placed on the band.
Half-Kneeling Face Pull
- For this exercise, you’ll need either a resistance band that you’ve looped around an anchor point, or a cable rope on a pulley.
- Begin in the half kneel position with a cable with your arms straight at shoulder height, holding the cable handles, and your back flat.
- Pull the cable straight in toward your face, bending at the elbows and bringing your hands to your ears. Then, release the cable to the front.
- Remain upright throughout and use your core to avoid swaying back and forth.
Overhead Carry
We recommend that carries are included in every good exercise program. Not only are they training your shoulder to be stable in the overhead position, they also give you some great core work!
- Begin by pressing a kettlebell or dumbbell overhead with one arm. Make sure the elbow is locked and your shoulder blade is pulled back. You should not be shrugging your shoulder up by your ear.
- Once you are comfortable with your shoulder position and upright in your posture, begin to walk. The opposite side of your midsection will be working overtime to avoid a side-bent posture.
- Keep the other hand free, on the hip, or flat against the stomach to remind yourself to breathe and maintain abdominal bracing.
Bear Hold Shoulder Taps
This is a great shoulder and core stability exercise that can be added as a challenging warm-up or a great finisher to any workout.
- Start in the tabletop position, with your hands directly below your shoulders and knees directly below your hips.
- Then, lift your knees an inch or two off the ground so that they are hovering right above the ground.
- In this position, lift your right hand and tap your left shoulder, then return it to the ground. Do the same thing on the opposite side, lifting your left hand to tap your right shoulder, before putting it back on the ground. The goal of this move is to keep your core stable to avoid movement in your hips.
