Let’s be honest, warming up your shoulders is not the most exciting part of your workout routine. Swinging your arms draws more attention in the gym than hopping on the treadmill to raise your heart rate, which might explain why many of us skip this crucial step. However, making time for a dedicated shoulder warm-up can dramatically improve your exercise performance. It’s also one of the best ways to protect your shoulders from injury.
Do you need to warm up your shoulders?
Yes, but don’t just take our word for it. “The shoulder is a complex structure. For stability, it relies heavily on the surrounding muscles and tendons. This dynamic stability allows for its wide range of motion, but it makes it more susceptible to injuries such as dislocations, strains and impingements,” says Florence Penny, a physiotherapist and the founder of Flow Physio London. Warm-up exercises make the shoulder joint more resilient to the demands of physical exercise by increasing the temperature and pliability of surrounding muscles and tendons. They’re particularly important for injury prevention in heavy weightlifting, competitive swimming and any sport that puts strain on this fragile joint.
If you’ve ever had a shoulder injury, you will know how frustrating it can be. “Any shoulder injury is painful, mainly because we use our shoulders far more often than we think,” says Katie Knapton, a physiotherapist and the founder of PhysioFast Online. “They’re essential for daily functioning. Shoulder injuries also tend to disturb sleep, because many people sleep on their sides. Shoulder injuries can also take a long time to heal. For example, if you’ve had a significant rotator cuff injury, it will probably take three months to really get back to normal.”
