Many of us experience ongoing shoulder pain. It can have a big impact on our quality of life. Not only does it cause pain, but it has other side effects. First, it can limit your range of motion, restricting the ability to conduct everyday tasks such as lifting or carrying objects. It can also cause general stiffness, especially during the morning after a night of sleep. Swelling, inflammation, numbness and tingling can also result from shoulder pains. Finally, you might feel pain at night or experience muscle spasms. There can be many causes of shoulder pain, either gradual onset due to general wear and tear, such as arthritis, or from a specific sudden injury.
If you want to work on reducing your shoulder pain, there are several exercises that are helpful: Arnold Press, Dumbbell Front Raise, Outward Shoulder Rotation and Sunrise Shoulder Raise. We’ll explain how to do each one and how it can help with nagging shoulder pain.
The Arnold Press is a great exercise that works on your shoulders, triceps and upper chest. It’s a variation of the traditional shoulder press and is completed by holding two dumbbells while sitting down and twisting your wrists as you raise them overhead. There are a few reasons why it’s better than the shoulder press. First, it uses the muscles above the shoulders more, known as deltoids. Second, it’s a more natural movement, similar to how we use our shoulders in routine activities. Finally, it helps stabilize the shoulders. Check out our expert fitness video demonstration of the Arnold Press:
The Dumbbell Front Raise is a great and easy exercise to strengthen and tone the muscles that support your shoulders. It only requires dumbbells or a kettlebell. It works multiple muscles on both the arms and shoulders. It can help you in activities like golf and improve your overall posture. To properly complete the Dumbbell Front Raise, Start by standing feet with shoulder width apart, and arms hanging down holding onto the dumbbells or kettlebell. Lift the weights up with your arms extended until they’re parallel to the floor. Pause and then slowly lower them back to the starting position. Repeat for your desired number of reps and sets. Here’s a demonstration of the proper technique:
The Outward Shoulder Rotation is also good for building shoulder strength. Start by standing up holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your arms should be at a 90 degree angle with elbows tucked in to your side. Then rotate your arms outward until the upper arm is extended from your sides, while keeping your elbows tucked. Return to the starting position and repeat. Here’s Dustin demonstrating how to complete the Outward Shoulder Rotation:
The Sunrise Shoulder Raise gets its name from its arm movement, which mimics a sunrise. This exercise also focuses on strengthening the shoulder and requires two dumbbells. It is excellent for helping with mobility, stability and range of motion. Stand up with a dumbbell in each hand and palms facing outward, with arms fully extended towards the floor. Then raise your arms over your head and return to the starting position. Here’s Carolyn demonstrating:
With these 4 exercises, you can strengthen your shoulders, along with other muscle groups, and help to relieve chronic shoulder pain that may be impairing your life.