Tips and exercises for shoulder pain

The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint that makes it amazingly mobile as well as at risk for injury.  Our personal training team at Vintage Fitness see clients with shoulder pain every day due to impingement conditions such as arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis (rotator cuff disease) and frozen shoulder. It is important to have your shoulder pain properly assessed to understand the root cause. 

Here are a few general tips to help ease shoulder pain:

1. Stretch your chest and front of your shoulders everyday

Chest and Shoulder Stretch

Benefits of the exercise:

Reduces tension in the chest and shoulders which helps to combat slouched shoulders

Tips

1. Only lift your arms to the level that your shoulders can stay against the wall
2. Keep the shoulders relaxed

How long should I hold the stretch?

1. 1 minute

Video:

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2. Strengthen the muscles in your upper back that support good posture

Back Row

Benefits of the exercise:

Strengthens the upper and mid back

Tips:

1. Keep a tall spine
2. Keep the shoulders relaxed

How many should I do?

1. 10 times

Video:

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3. Do range of motion exercise with no or small weights to increase blood flow to the shoulder and promote healing

Shoulder Circles

Benefits of the exercise: Improves range of motion and blood flow to the shoulder

Tips:

1. Keep a tall spine with your knees slightly bent
2. Keep the shoulders relaxed and down

How many should I do?

1. 10 times on either side

Video:

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This is a 12 week blog series discussing common medical conditions and exercise prescriptions for the older adult.

• Week 1: Dementia
• Week 2: Cardiovascular conditions
• Week 3: Fibromyalgia
• Week 4: Sciatica
• Week 5: Falls
• Week 6: Back injuries and conditions
• Week 7: Elbow injuries
• Week 8: Joint replacements
• Week 9: Shoulder injuries (This post)
• Week 10: Diabetes
• Week 11: Osteoporosis
• Week 12: Arthritis

Want to learn more? Book a free virtual training session with a 50+ fitness expert. 

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Good Luck!

Erin

Vintage Fitness

Vintage Fitness is an in-home personal training company in Toronto, Canada. We specialize in energizing the lives of people over 50 with exercise.