4 Habits That Will Help You Prevent Shoulder Injuries

shutterstock_19723270Taking care of your body and your health takes regular work and attention. While some injuries can’t be avoided, many others can be prevented, or made less severe, by practicing a few smart habits.

 

Incorporate the following habits to prevent future shoulder injuries and keep your body ready for whatever comes next.

1. Maintain Good Posture

Good posture is important whether you’re running, walking, standing, lifting, or throwing. Many injuries occur because someone was doing something with incorrect posture. For example, lifting a heavy object with bad posture could injure your back, neck and shoulders.

 

During everyday activities, your back should stay straight and your shoulders should be relaxed.

 

When engaging in athletic activities, follow your training and the advice of your coaches to maintain appropriate posture and prevent injury.

2. Exercise Regularly

Keeping your body healthy and strong will help you avoid injury and help you recover quickly when injuries do happen.

 

To prevent shoulder injuries specifically, you should work on strengthening your rotator cuff. To strengthen the rotator cuff, use weights or resistance bands.

  • First strengthen the internal rotation: Stand with good posture. Keep your elbow at a 90-degree angle. Bring the arm holding the weight from the outer position in toward your abdomen.
  • Next strengthen the external rotation: Stand with good posture again and keep your elbow at a 90-degree angle. This time move the arm holding the weight away from your abdomen.

Consult an orthopedic specialist for other exercise that can strengthen your shoulders.

3. Warm Up Before Exercising and Stretch After Physical Activity

Warming up before strenuous exercise will prepare your body for your workout. Before lifting, run for 5 minutes or do a few sets of jump rope. If your exercise routine will be targeting your shoulders, take a few minutes to move your arms in, out and around to warm up your muscles. When your body is warmed up, you’ll be less stiff and less likely to make a mistake while lifting.

 

Stretching after physical activity can prevent soreness and keep you flexible. Staying flexible is another great way to prevent injuries.

 

4. Address Problems Promptly

Ignoring a shoulder injury is one of the worst mistakes you can make. If you notice an injury, seek treatment right away. Continuing your regular activities with an injured shoulder will compound injuries in the future and could make treatment much more difficult.

 

If you think you may have a shoulder injury, contact Dr. William D. Murrell Jr. to schedule an appointment.