You\u2019re clinging to the overhead strap on a packed bus during rush hour when the driver suddenly slams on the brakes. As the crowd surges, your arm jerks back and your shoulder takes the full force of the momentum. It\u2019s times like these, one is grateful for a strong and healthy shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ve got a strong and mobile shoulder, you have the control to reduce the risk of anything [bad] happening,\u201d says Dr Josh Zadro, a physiotherapist and senior research fellow at the University of Sydney.<\/p>\n
We often ignore our shoulders until they scream for attention, but prevention is far more effective than treatment, says Dr Anelise Silveira, a physiotherapist and researcher at the University of Queensland.<\/p>\n
Here experts guide us through the principles of maintaining healthy shoulders:<\/p>\n
Use your full range of motion daily<\/p>\n
According to Zadro, problems arise when we stop moving entirely.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not one perfect posture,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople move and sit in a variety of ways \u2026 we\u2019re not worried about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He says \u201cmotion is lotion\u201d \u2013 as we age and naturally lose mobility, shoulder health will decline. To remedy this, he recommends taking your shoulders through their full range of motion daily:<\/p>\n
Arm circles: Large, controlled circles in front of your body.<\/p>\n
The wall slide: Face a wall and slide your hands up as high as possible.<\/p>\n
The overhead reach: Stretch your arms to the ceiling to counteract the forward hunch of computer work.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than trying to completely change the way people sit or work, it\u2019s just a matter of getting out of those postures regularly,\u201d Zadro says.<\/p>\n
Silveira agrees, explaining that staying still for too long compresses tendons and the bursa \u2013 a small, fluid-filled sack that reduces friction between bones, tendons and muscles \u2013 leading to stiffness. Her advice for busy workers is to set a phone timer for every hour or two.<\/p>\n
When it buzzes, perform a quick reset: check if you are slumping, then roll your shoulders back, around and down. Hold for five to 10 seconds and repeat up to 10 times.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal is to become aware of your shoulders, strengthen the muscles and build a habit of adjusting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Strengthen shoulders safely<\/p>\n
The shoulder relies on a team of muscles to function, including the rotator cuff \u2013 a group of muscles and tendons that supports and stabilises the arm at the shoulder joint \u2013 and the larger muscles across the front and back, Zadro says.<\/p>\n
Prof George Murrell, a shoulder specialist, says that safe strengthening helps healthy shoulders.<\/p>\n
He recommends low-impact options like swimming breaststroke, which he describes as \u201ckind\u201d to the joint, or using a rowing machine on a light setting to work the back of the shoulder and core without stressing the rotator cuff tendons.<\/p>\n
Performing a simple routine with a resistance band a few times a week can strengthen the rotator cuff. Photograph: Tony Anderson\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
For a home setup, Zadro recommends grabbing a resistance band and performing a simple routine two to three times a week. The first exercise he suggests is the \u2018stand and lift\u2019, where you stand on the band and lift your arm to the side, then front, then overhead. He also recommends a move called \u2018the door anchor\u2019. For this loop the band around a closed door handle. Face the door to pull (rowing motion), or face away to push (press motion).<\/p>\n
Zadro says there is \u201cno golden number of sets or reps\u201d. Exercise until the muscle feels fatigued and the movement becomes difficult.<\/p>\n
Silveira warns that even fit people who go to the gym and train a lot can have weak rotator cuffs.<\/p>\n
She recommends isolating these muscles with rotations. For an external rotation, keep your elbow at 90 degrees, tucked against your side and while holding a resistance band or light weight, rotate the forearm outwards (away from your belly). Do the opposite with an internal rotation, moving the forearm inwards across your stomach. Once the movement feels easy, you can either add weight or increase your range of motion.<\/p>\n
Increase new activities gradually<\/p>\n
A fast way to wreck a healthy shoulder is a sudden spike in intense activity, Murrell says. Overworking the rotator cuff can lead to tendinopathy (tendon injury) and bursitis (inflammation).<\/p>\n
He cautions against diving into high-intensity training programs like CrossFit without a strong exercise background, as high loads in a competitive environment can push the shoulder into a danger zone.<\/p>\n
This applies to incidental exercise, too. Experts say we must be mindful of activities requiring repetitive overhead movement that the body isn\u2019t conditioned for, such as painting a house or returning to tennis after a long break.<\/p>\n
Silveira urges consistency over intensity. \u201cYou cannot go to the gym and expect to lift 50kg on your first day,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Zadro agrees: \u201cA lot of shoulder problems happen when people suddenly take on a new or big load.\u201d<\/p>\n
Listen to pain<\/p>\n
While these tips reflect best practice, the experts say if you experience pain, consult a health professional.<\/p>\n
\u201cPain is our best friend,\u201d Silveira says. \u201cIt tells you something is not quite right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murrell suggests backing off aggravating movements immediately. He says that pain often causes people to stop using the shoulder joint proper (the ball and socket) and over-rely on the trapezius muscles to compensate.<\/p>\n
A physiotherapist can spot these red flags, correct your movement patterns and guide you back into safe exercise once inflammation subsides.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You\u2019re clinging to the overhead strap on a packed bus during rush hour when the driver suddenly slams…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":232872,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[499,103,61,60],"class_list":{"0":"post-232871","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232871"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232871\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/232872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}