Summer’s coming to a wrap which makes me really sad 

I LOVE the sun, LOVE the beach, LOVE the water, LOVE the kids being home from school and LOVE the relaxed schedule. Needless to say, it’s quite a transition to get back into the school and sport schedule for me. 

There’s just something about the water that’s calming, relaxing, meditative and freeing. Yesterday, I did a quick swim at the pool while my kids were playing and kept thinking about all the patients I have worked with in the past year who swim and are plagued with shoulder or shoulder blade pain during or after their swim. Shoulder pain isn’t just limited to the swimmer. It’s widely prevalent amongst humans due to the nature of their sitting desk jobs. 
Here’s my top 5 exercises I like to recommend for my patients with shoulder or shoulder blade pain. If you’re a swimmer, it’s key to supplement your swim training with dry land training to build up the muscles in your upper back and around your shoulders to prevent injury but also to improve your speed and performance. If you’re not a swimmer, these are the top 5 exercises to do to counteract the effects of your desk job. […]

1. Squat with Row – This is a great exercise for every single person. It targets the upper back muscles which are key to good posture, alignment, and keeping you upright.

2. Push Up Plus – This is a great exercise for the core but also challenges shoulder stability and targets the serratus anterior muscles, a key muscle in preventing neck and shoulder pain.

3. Side Plank with Shoulder External Rotation – This is an excellent exercise which targets the rotator cuff muscles, core muscles and outer hip muscles. 

4. W, T, Y – These are excellent for specifically targeting the small muscles surrounding the shoulder blade. This series should be a staple in every person’s workout routine.

5. Banded Angels – These are a progression of the W, T, Y exercises. They are a little more challenging because they train the shoulder blade and rotator cuff muscles to work dynamically against gravity.

If you are struggling with shoulder pain, don’t let it stop you from doing what you love! Try these exercises 3-4 days per week for the next 2 weeks. If you’re still struggling with pain, give us a call so you can speak to our Specialist Physical Therapist to get a better idea of what may be going on. If you’d rather have us get in touch with you, fill out this 10 second inquiry form and we will be in touch soon!