Your healthcare provider may also suggest exercises to help you heal after an injury or surgery.

This article discusses shoulder-strengthening exercises.

It explains shoulder anatomy and common causes of pain.

It also provides step-by-step instructions for seven exercises that target the rotator cuff.

Check with your healthcare provider before you roll doing these exercises.

Strengthening Your Shoulders

Yourrotator cuffconsists of a group of four muscles.

Rotator cuff pain, weakness, or stiffness is common in young athletes and middle-aged adults.

Working to keep your rotator cuff muscles strong may help you avoid these problems.

Stronger rotator cuff muscles are better at supporting your shoulder joint and are less likely to become injured.

When you regularly stretch these muscles, they also become more flexible.

Flexibility improves your range of motion, which can also help prevent injury.

Start lightusually, a 2 or 3-pound dumbbell is enough to create resistance.

you could also add resistance by performing shoulder exercises with a resistance band.

Summary

Shoulder exercises can help your rotator cuff muscles become stronger and more flexible.

This can help prevent injury and improve problems like rotator cuff tears and shoulder bursitis.

It’s always best to begin an exercise routine slowly with easy exercises.

As time goes on, you’ve got the option to add weight to increase the intensity.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Shoulder pain and problems.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Shoulder pain and common shoulder problems.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Rotator cuff and shoulder conditioning program.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Shoulder impingement/rotator cuff tendinitis.

2017;103(2):167-173. doi:10.1016/j.physio.2016.09.001