Mobility Stretches for Rotator Cuff Muscles
Swimming should be a non-contact, low-impact sport, right?
We use the freestyle stroke, otherwise known as the crawl, as the basis for the bulk of our training. However, that can mean excessive rotation of our shoulders which can lead to overuse-related injuries.
The following dynamic mobility stretches focus on our rotator cuff muscles to improve joint and muscle health. These can be done at home or on the pool deck as you get ready to jump in.
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Pendulum exercise: While standing, lean on the side of a table or chair without rounding your back and support yourself with one arm. Allow the other arm to hang freely. Slowly swing the hanging arm by lightly moving your body back and forth. Next, use your body to move the arm in small, clockwise circles, then reverse the direction. Lastly, move the arm side to side. Switch arms and repeat the steps.
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Internal rotator strengthening exercise: Begin by tying an elastic band to a doorknob. Then, take a rolled towel and squeeze it between one of your elbows and your body to help keep your arm at your side. While standing or sitting, relax your shoulder and bend your elbow to form a 90 degree angle. With that same arm, grab and hold the end of the elastic band, keeping the rolled towel squeezed between your elbow and torso. Slowly rotate your forearm toward your body until it touches your belly, then slowly rotate it back to the starting position. Repeat on each arm eight to 12 times.
