Over the weekend I had the privilege to attend a regional pickleball tournament in Rocklin, CA. I not only got to participate in my new healthy addiction, but I also saw how such a simple form of physical activity and fun catalyzed movement of individuals with different skill levels, athletic backgrounds, and fitness levels. As I prepared for my first match, I performed my normal dynamic stretching routine that I do before any exercise session or athletic activity. This is the same dynamic stretching routine that we teach our personal training clients in Napa before beginning their training sessions. As I warmed up the muscles of my neck, shoulders, back, hips, knees, and ankles, a fellow pickleball competitor commented on how I was moving my shoulders throughout the warmup. “Wow, I was watching you move your shoulders around. I never know how to stretch those areas.” She continued to demonstrate how she stretches her shoulders, reaching her hand back behind her head as if attempting to scratch her back. Then she started to perform the same stretches I was doing, emulating my movements to the best of her abilities. As we bonded over preparing our shoulders for pickleball, I told her, “If you warm your shoulders every time you practice and play, your shoulders will be healthy for the long run.”
In my background as an exercise specialist, I have commonly come across the issue of, “How can I help strengthen, reduce pain, or stretch (insert body part)?” My first inquiry to the knowledge seeker is, “What does your warmup routine consist of?” The usual response is, “Warmup? What warmup?” You can imagine that my heart momentarily skips a beat and I have to refrain from letting my jaw drop to the ground. If we can take anything away from reading this article for those of you wanting healthy, pain free, and strong shoulders, it is critically important to perform a ritualistic warmup for the major joints of the body before a bout of physical activity.
Various attachment points hold the shoulder together to ensure that it has sufficient mobility. The shoulder joint is considered a ball and socket joint. It has unique attachment points including the upper arm, collar bone, and shoulder blade. Movements of the shoulder joint include adduction, abduction, circumduction, flexion, extension, protraction and retraction. These are fancy terms for the shoulder being capable of crossing the arms in front of the body, reaching behind, and reaching overhead. If we want to perform these functions efficiently, ensuring the stabilizing muscles of the shoulder receive oxygenated flow regularly is essential. regularly performed warmup routines come into play to make an immediate positive impact to the structural integrity of the shoulder joint.
These are examples of some simple, yet effective shoulder warmups that we perform with our personal training clients in Napa:
- Supine “Shoulder Angels:” Lie flat of the ground. Knees should be bent and feet flat on the ground. Extend the arms at the elbows, ensuring the palms are facing upward. Maintaining straight elbows and palms of the hands are facing up, perform a “snow angel” movement where the arms create two half-circle movements across the ground on the right and left side of the body. You should feel a stretch in the arm pit region, chest, and rotator cuff region of the shoulder. Repeat the stretch safely for 5-10 repetitions.
- Straight Arm Horizontal Abduction and Adduction: While standing, reach both arms out in front of your chest. Ensure that the elbows are extended and the arms are straight. Keeping the extended arms elevated underneath the collar bones, stretch them backwards until a brief stretch is felt. This exercise can also be performed with the palms facing up or facing down to achieve more stretching at different attachment points. Repeat the stretch safely for 5-10 repetitions.
- Protraction and Retraction: Elevate the arms to just below the collar bones. Bending the elbow at a 90-degree angle, ensure that the fingertips remain facing forward. You should look like a scarecrow with the hands facing forward and fingertips pointing in front of you. While maintaining this “scarecrow” like position, glide the shoulder blades backwards against the ribs. Reverse the motion forward. You should feel a brief sensation of muscular activation at each end range of motion around the shoulder blade and chest region. It’s important not to shrug your shoulders during this movement. Repeat this exercise safely for 5-10 repetitions.
We should be able to perform our favorite physical activities pain free. Scratching the back of your head, reaching for objects overhead, or reaching into the backseat of the car from the front shouldn’t be a taxing event on the body. These problems occur from neglecting to the connective tissue that hold the shoulders together. However, this can be cured with a routinized warmup before physical activities requiring shoulder movements. Over time connective tissue, strength, and mobility can be restored.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
