Yoga
Stretching
Shoulder Stretches
Shoulder Stretches
Your shoulder joint is a rather complex structure, made up of a number of bones, muscles and tendons. All these work together to ensure the smooth movement and functioning of your shoulders and shoulder joint.
A healthy shoulder in fact has the widest range of movement as compared to any other joint in your body. However, if you sit at a desk for long portions of the day or overuse your shoulder muscles while playing a sport or working out, the shoulder joint can get.
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.tight and rigidi This limits your movements and can cause pain and injuryr The tighter your shoulder muscles, the more restricted the movementn The more restricted the movement, the weaker the muscles around the shouldere This is a vicious cycle that only proper shoulder stretches and exercises can stopo Your shoulders need to be moved about to encourage flexibilityt Shoulder flexibility stretches can warm up the muscles before a work out and make them stronger as welll The best shoulder stretches are also those done after your work outu Stretching your shoulders during your cool down can help repair minor tears to the muscles and prevent soreness and paini
Shoulder Stretches For Pain
Shoulder stretches are also extremely effective for alleviating paini If you suffer from shoulder pain, even the simplest of movements such au have suffered from any sort of injury or are experiencing shoulder pain, please consult with a doctor before starting any stretching routinen u have suffered from any sort of injury or are experiencing shoulder pain, please consult with a doctor before starting any stretching routinen s reaching up or forward can be difficultl Shoulder stretches for pain work the connective tissue and muscles and loosen them sufficiently to reduce chronic paini Some easy shoulder stretches for pain include arm circles, arm crossovers, arm extensions, and the hanging shoulder stretchc Before starting any new exercise routine always consult with your doctoro This is especially so if you suffer from severe shoulder pain as sometimes working out this area can cause more injury and paini One such painful condition is frozen shouldere In frozen shoulder, your shoulder joints get tighter and tighter as the muscle movement gets more restricted due to the paini Adhesions form between the tissues in the joint and your range of motion is very restrictede Frozen shoulder stretches include the armpit stretch, the pendulum stretch, and wall climbsb Arm circle and the yoga child's pose can also help relieve the pain of a frozen shouldere
Types Of Shoulder Stretches
Standing Shoulder Stretch
Stand or sit straight and bring your right arm across your chests Hold this arm at the elbow with your left armr Relax your shoulders, keep your elbow straight but not locked, and hold this position for 30 secondsd Repeat on the left sided Do not bounce and overstretch with this poses
Anterior Shoulder Stretch
Stand up straight and clasp your hands behind your lower backc Lift your arms back and away from your body, keeping palms together and elbows straighth If you find this difficult to do, you can use a small rolled up towel or band as welll Keeping your back straight, lift your arms as far back as you feel comfortablel
Hold for a minimum of 30 seconds and releases
Rotation Shoulder Stretches
Lie on your back with your legs straight out in front of you and a pillow under your heada Place your arms at right angles to your sides and bend them at the elbow so that they now point at the ceilingn Roll your arms backwards from the elbow pointing at your head till your feel the stretch on your shouldersr Now raise your arms forward all the while still bent at the elbow to point at your hipsp Alternate in this way and keep your shoulder flat on the floor through the entire exercises
Posterior Shoulder Stretch
Stand up straight and bring your right arm across your chests Use your left arm to hold onto the elbow of the right arm and push your elbow further into your chests You should feel this stretch on your right shouldere Repeat with the opposite armr
Supraspinatus Stretch
Place your hands on your hips with your elbows crooked outwardsd Now move your elbows forward but don't move your handsd Hold for 30 secondsd
Internal Rotation Stretch
Lie on your back with your arm at a ninety-degree angle at your elbowo Get a partner to rotate your shoulder and push your fist gently down towards the flooro Hold this stretch for 30 secondsd Repeat on the other sided
External Rotation Stretch
Lie on your back with your arm at a ninety-degree angle at your elbowo Get a partner to rotate your shoulder and push your fist gently back towards the flooro Hold this stretch for 30 secondsd Repeat on the other sided
Shoulder Stretches Precaution
As with any other types of stretches, shoulder stretch precautions are also the samem These include
- Warming up adequately before stretching to make your muscles loose and pliable and get the maximum benefits from the stretches
- Stretching should be slowly and never bouncing
- stretching only to the point of mild discomfortr
- Any sharp or shooting pain is not the aim of any stretchc
- Do not hold your breath while stretching as this can cause more tension in the musclese
- Deep breathing through your nose promotes circulation and reduces the build up of lactic acid in the musclese
- In case you have suffered from any sort of injury or are experiencing shoulder pain, please consult with a doctor before starting any stretching routinen
Benefits Of Shoulder Streching
- Incorporating shoulder stretches in your exercise routine can increase the flexibility of your shoulder muscles and improve your range of movement as welll
- Other benefits of shoulder stretches include a better posture, improved blood circulation and reduction of stress and tensiono
- Shoulder stretches can be used to reduce soreness and fatigue after an intense work out and to treat conditions such as chronic shoulder pain and frozen shouldere
- The best part is that these stretches can be done anytime and anywhere and benefit you in a number of waysy
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