Prevent Shoulder Pain with 3 Rotator Cuff Exercises

A typical complaint that's always brought up among sports people is shoulder pain, or in particular, the rotator cuff. Shoulder injuries can be extremely painful and slow to heal, but there are numerous exercises to help you recover.

Internal Rotation

Place a towel under your arm to ensure your elbows are tucked in and not flaring out. Work on the arm next to the band, and turn your arm inward across your body. Repeat 10-15 times and keep your forearm parallel to the ground.

External Rotation

Keep the band at waist level and work on the arm further from the band. Turn your arm outward away from your body. Repeat 10-15 times and keep your forearm parallel to the ground. Alternate with your thumbs facing up, in or out, allowing your rotator cuff muscles to be trained from different angles. If it's too easy, you can step further away from the wall or take a step back if it's too difficult for you at the moment.

Pull-Aparts

This third move works on improving your posture, allowing you to work on the upper back and giving the support you need for that shoulder. Grasp the elastic band in both hands with your elbows straight. Move your arms away from each other, out to the sides. Slowly return to the start position and repeat 10-15 times. Elastic bands are ideal for rehab exercises as they don't rely on gravity to provide resistance, this increases its potential for more functional movement patterns in everyday and sport-specific activities. When using free weights, you also run the risk of straining the same spot you injured during lifting.