Best Exercises for Shoulder Stabilization

If you are looking for the best exercises for shoulder treatment and prevention of injury then shoulder stabilization exercises are your best bet.

I see people everyday who are working hard to strengthen the muscles in their arms and shoulders in hopes of not only having “Big Guns”, but also in preventing injury and pain.

The best thing you can do for your body is to continue to strengthen your muscles as you age to prevent weakness resulting in pain later.

The only problem with this picture is if you aren’t doing the correct exercises to help stabilize the important joints of the body.

The two major joints of the body are the shoulder girdle stabilized for shoulder and arm exercises, and the pelvic girdle for hip and leg exercises.

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If stabilization is not properly addressed during hip and shoulder girdle exercises it will only be a matter of time before you have pain from disuse of these joints.

Some of my favorite exercises for the shoulder are shoulder stabilization exercises.

These exercises are great not only because they are shoulder rehabilitation exercises but they help to improve your posture and realign the spine making your back feel better too.

A Few of my favorite Exercises for Shoulder Stabilization:

Elbow Pull:

Position: Lying on your stomach with your elbows flexed and under your shoulders, lift your chest so your upper body weight is supported on your forearms.

Movement: Actively press or pull your body forward with your elbows pressing into the mat and towards your body. Feel the chest widen as you draw the shoulder blades together working the muscles of the upper back. Keep the back of the neck long and shoulders down.

Repeat 6-10 times holding for 5-10 seconds at the top.

Wall Washes:

Position: Standing with legs hip width apart, neutral spine and pelvis against a wall. Back of the head, upper back, and sacrum rest against the wall.

Walk your feet out away from the wall about one foot and flex the knees slightly. Bring hands and elbows flat against the wall.

Movement: Inhale as you slide the elbows and hands slightly up above the shoulders and then exhale as you slide them down.

Imagine pulling your elbows down like you are going to put them in your back pockets.

Lying Scapular Retraction/Protraction: Using a resista- band or rubber tubing.

Purpose: To stretch the muscles of the chest and anterior shoulder while strengthening the muscles of the middle back which stabilize the scapula.

Position: Lying on your back holding a stretch band straight over your chest shoulder width apart. Feel your shoulders blades wide on your back.

Action: Extend your arms out to the side as you draw your shoulder blades together pulling the band across your chest. Then slowly and controlled release the band back to the start. Repeat 8 – 10 times.

Upper Back Exercise - Elbow Lift:

Position: Lying face down on a mat with fingertips on shoulders, legs long and extended, and abdominal muscles pulled in.

Movement: Lift your upper torso keeping feet anchored to mat, raise elbows higher keeping fingertips on shoulders, make sure to keep your nose pointed down at the floor to keep neck alignment. Repeat up to 5 times trying to hold longer as you progress.