Today, I will share some simple exercises that will help you shrug off shoulder pain. These are also exercises that women can do at home anytime. Enjoy the exercises.
CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video.
I got Jenna to demonstrate the simple exercises.
1. Full Nelson Elbows Back
Stay relaxed. Bring your hands toward your head while your arms are rotated externally. Use the muscles in your mid back to bring your elbows back.
Women often have good flexibility in the shoulders but lack activation, endurance, and strength in their midback shoulder areas. The full Nelson elbows back exercise targets the midback shoulder blade muscles. You may feel some activity or small movement in the upper traps.
Full Nelson Elbows Back
Perform one set of 5 reps in a smooth, controlled movement, with a good stop at the end for 1 to 2 seconds. You should feel the muscles in your midback and shoulder blade area working. There could be some fatigue as opposed to a burning or a muscle-building feeling through this exercise.
2. Wall Push-up Plus
Form a good straight-line ― ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and head ― with your hands flat against the wall, just below shoulder height. Push up against the wall, then the “plus” is performed by protracting the shoulder blades and rounding the back.
This targets the serratus anterior, a deep muscle in the armpit with poor activation, strength, and endurance in women.
Wall Push-up Plus
Perform one set of 5 reps in a smooth, controlled movement, with a good stop at the start and end for 1 second each in this simple exercise. You should feel the muscles in your shoulders and muscles deep down through your armpits working.
3. Three-way Tubing Exercise
Use resistance tubing, available at any health, fitness, sporting goods, or big-box stores. Hold the tubing shoulder-width apart with a close grip, and then separate your fists. Make a 45-degree angle with your body while keeping the tubing straight. Move and repeat this on the other side.
We’re working on the midback area with arms straight through this exercise. Now at an angle with the high arm, you are working on the lower part of the shoulder blade. You are targeting the lower shoulder blade’s middle and lower parts with the lower arm.
Three-way Tubing Exercise
Perform one set of 5 reps for each position in a smooth, controlled movement with a good stop at the end. You should feel the muscles in your shoulder blades working as you move your arms from a straight line to an angled position. This may be challenging as we target specific muscles that lack activation, endurance, and strength.
4. Chair Push-ups
Sit on a chair. Straighten your arms, bring your shoulder blades down, and then slowly bring your seat up off the chair.
This simple exercise targets the lower shoulder blades while relaxing the upper trap muscles, which are usually tight or stiff in most women.
Chair Push-ups
Perform one set of 5 reps in a smooth, controlled movement, with a good stop at the end for 1 to 2 seconds. You should feel the muscles in your shoulder blade, specifically working the lower part.
Give these four shoulder pain relief exercises a go.
Take care!
Rick Kaselj, MS
If you want to learn how to end your shoulder discomfort permanently, check out the Shoulder Pain Solved program here.
