Shoulder health is important for everyone, including both athletes and fitness enthusiasts and is one of the most common injury types we see at seventy9 Sports Therapy in Guildford. Whether you’re a professional athlete or simply enjoy staying active, maintaining strong and flexible shoulders is essential to reducing injury risk and performing at your best. As a leading sports injury clinic in Guildford, we’re committed to promoting your health and well-being. In this blog, we’ll share our top 5 tips to enhance your shoulder health, aiming to promote an injury-free and active lifestyle.
Prioritise Proper Warm-Up and Stretching
Before engaging in any physical activity, it’s crucial to prepare the body including “warming up” your shoulder muscles. At seventy9 Sports Therapy in Guildford, we like our athletes and patients to incorporate exercises that load the stabilising structures of the shoulder such as the rotator cuff, however just performing gentle arm circles and dynamic mobility exercises can have a significant positive effect on shoulder function prior to exercise.
Strengthen Your Shoulder Muscles
The shoulder girdle is inherently mobile and lacks the passive structural integrity and stability of the hip joint. Therefore, it relies on strong muscles surrounding the shoulder joint, providing stability and support to movement. Whether the focus is rotator cuff, scapula retractors like your rhomboids, or just general stability in compound push/pull movements, a good resistance training programme is key for good shoulder health. At seventy9 Sports Therapy, our sports injury clinic in Guildford, we are highly skilled in prescribing good, safe and effective shoulder strength programming. If you have shoulder pain or are struggling with certain movements or loading scenarios, do not hesitate to get in touch or book an appointment!
Maintain Proper Posture
Now, it is important to point out that there is no such thing as a “bad” posture. But there are some postural cues that we like to see and for our patients to apply across various different loading scenarios. Two things we often highlight is an elevation of the sternum and a retraction of the shoulder blades. The thing is, posture is incredibly specific to the individual and the situation you are in – e.g. sitting in the office, or addressing the ball whilst playing golf. Our specialists at seventy9 Sports Therapy, a leading sports injury clinic in Guildford, will work specifically with you to incorporate better postural behaviours in your rehabilitation programming.
Avoid Overloading
Overloading your shoulders (or any joint/muscle for that matter) with heavy weights or repetitive movements beyond your conditioning level can lead to irritation and injury. Gradually progressing the intensity of your workouts and ensuring good technique throughout helps to manage this. At seventy9 Sports Therapy, we work closely with the strength and conditioning experts at Advance Performance at our HQ in Merrist Wood College, Guildford, to help programme good effective progressive overload as well as educate on good exercise technique.
Rest Well
Paying attention to your body is crucial. If you feel pain or discomfort in your shoulders, it’s essential to address it promptly. Including rest or active recovery days into your exercise routine can help muscles and joints recover, manage load better and allow for performance improvement through assimilation of the loading you are putting into the structures. If you are in any doubt, our sports therapy specialists at seventy9 Sports Therapy in Guildford are on hand to assess any issues, treat accordingly and prescribe good effective and safe rehabilitation programming.
Shoulder joint health is a cornerstone of overall well-being, especially in those leading active and sporty lifestyles. Remember that a good warm-up, targeted strength development, better postural behaviours, progressive overload and planned rest are key factors in preventing injuries and ensuring optimal performance regardless of your exercise level. If you are experiencing, or do ever experience any shoulder discomfort, or require professional guidance on any of the above, the experts at our leading sports injury clinic in Guildford are here to support you on your journey to better shoulder health. Why not contact us today to learn more about how we can help you maintain strong and health shoulders for your active life.