Implementing an Upper Body Workout with a Shoulder Injury
Shoulder injuries are very common. In fact, most people reading this have probably experienced some type of injury to their shoulder, even if it was nothing more than a bit of stiffness or soreness. Even minor shoulder pain will prevent some people from being able to lift their arms past a certain height. In more severe cases, even the slightest movement can cause a great deal of pain or discomfort. If you’ve injured your shoulder and are afraid that you won’t be able to work out for a while, don’t fret. It’s relatively easy for you to implement an upper body workout with a shoulder injury as long as you follow some basic guidelines and focus on the right exercises.
Why You Should Work Out with a Shoulder Injury
Many people are surprised to learn that one of the best ways to help your body recover from a shoulder injury is to perform certain workouts that utilize the muscles around it and even the shoulder itself to a certain degree. The most obvious benefit is that other parts of your upper body won’t suffer from inactivity just because your shoulders have been injured. But just as importantly, light workouts can speed up the recovery process.
Guidelines for Working Out with a Shoulder Injury
We recommend performing an upper body workout with a shoulder injury, you need to do it the right way. We suggest that you follow these three basic guidelines:
- Don’t Push Yourself Too Much — When you’re working out with any kind of injury, the most important thing is to not push yourself too quickly. If you try to “power through” and completely ignore the pain, you could end up making your injury worse.
- Switch Exercises as Needed — There are different severities of a shoulder injury, which means that even the suggested exercises (which we’ll detail a bit below) might be too difficult. There’s no shame in switching to a lower-impact exercise if you’re struggling.
- Get Help from a Personal Trainer — It’s always recommended that you get help from a personal trainer. A trainer will have lots of experience dealing with injuries and can customize your workout to be most beneficial for you.
Exercises You Should Focus On with a Shoulder Injury
There are actually quite a few different upper body exercises that you can do with a shoulder injury, unless it’s severe. If you ask 10 different personal trainers, you’re going to get 10 slightly different answers. Our personal trainer will create a customized workout just for you, but here’s a basic list of exercises that most people will be able to do as part of a circuit:
- Alternating Single-Arm Chest Press
- Skull Crusher
- Hammer Curl
- Bent-Over Row
- Incline Push-up
- Plank Shoulder Tap
For this workout, you should perform 8–10 reps of each exercise, resting 30 seconds between each one. Go through the entire circuit of exercises four or five times. Also, be sure not to return to your original weight. Test it out with a moderate weight and then slowly move to heavier weights as your shoulder strengthens and becomes less of an issue.
Exercises You Should Avoid With a Shoulder Injury
Although there are many upper body exercises that you can do with a shoulder injury, there are certain ones that you should avoid. Unless it’s been okayed by a personal trainer after examining you and working with you for a while, you shouldn’t put these types of exercises in your workout routine until you’ve healed:
- Overhead Pressing Exercises
- Incline Pressing Exercises
- Compressing the Shoulder
- Any Dip Exercise Variation
How a Personal Trainer Can Help a Shoulder Injury
If you have a shoulder injury or any other type of injury and want to continue working out, you should do so with the help of a holistic personal trainer. A trainer will talk about your injury, including any discussions you’ve had with a medical professional, and then develop a customized workout with just the right level of movement, weight, and impact. Their goal will be to develop an effective upper body workout while speeding up the healing process and preventing re-injury of your shoulder.
Contact Dunedin Fitness and Movement for an Upper Body Workout with a Shoulder Injury
Dunedin Fitness and Movement will create an upper body workout for a shoulder injury that will get you back up and running in no time. If you have any questions about our services or would like to set up an appointment with an experienced personal trainer in Dunedin, call our office at (727) 755-3485 today.
