The 10 Best Joint Mobility Exercises to Strengthen and Heal an Athlete's Shoulder

…And that of the sedentary!

Welcome to the sanctuary of the healthy and strong shoulder .

Here you will find a selection of the best Mouvers sauce exercises to put an end to shoulder pain.

A concentrate of joint mobility so that your shoulder pain is nothing more than a distant memory.

These exercises are not limited to pain management.

Shoulders will become stronger and more resilient with regular practice.

Whether you are an experienced athlete or a sedentary person, you will find exercises here adapted to your current condition.

We also give you recommendations to choose the ones that are most recommended for your sport!

Passive hanging

Ultimate shoulder strengthening, healing and mobility practice.

The apparent simplicity of this exercise is matched only by its benefits, particularly for the shoulder.

The execution is simple, just hang by your arms.

Popularized thanks to the challenge launched by Ido Portal around 2015, this exercise has become known for all the benefits it brings:

• Spine and Shoulder Decompression
• strengthening the rotator cuff muscles
• significant improvement in grip strength

It can single-handedly resolve acromioclavicular impingement problems in the shoulder by recreating space between the two bones.

John M Kirsch, an American surgeon specializing in shoulder surgery, refused to operate on his patients until they had tried a suspension protocol!

He even wrote a book about it.

Hanging is a perfect tool against shoulder tendonitis and shoulder pain, and can be done even when you have shoulder pain, provided you adapt it.

This is the work I did in the “never sore shoulders” training.

You'll get all the regressions and progressions for this ultimate shoulder exercise.

Particularly recommended for bodybuilding, calisthenics, crossfit, yoga, parkour, combat sports

Controlled joint rotation of the shoulder

This is a simple exercise that should be performed slowly and mindfully .

You will have to make large circles with your arm, which should remain as much as possible in line with your body.

You will need to perform circles in internal and external rotation, in order to dynamically stretch and strengthen all the muscles surrounding the shoulder, particularly the rotator cuff.

If you have shoulder pain, you will have to do this daily .

This is one of the secrets of mobility . 10 to 15 minutes every day is much better than two hours a week.

Excellent practice to complement combat sports such as MMA, boxing, Brazilian jiujitsu, Thai boxing.

Controlled joint rotation of the shoulder with the arm extended forward

We find the same principle as above, but this time we will make circles with the shoulder only.

Your arms will remain extended forward while you rotate your shoulder forward and then backward.

If it's difficult to keep your arms forward, you can also do it with your arms at rest.

Rotations will need to be made in both directions in a balanced manner.

The Crab

Although not really a shoulder exercise per se, the crab has many benefits for this joint.

This is an animal walk that is a form of loaded progressive stretch for the anterior deltoid, the front bundle of shoulder muscle that tends to be very tight with our sedentary lifestyles, as well as the pectorals.

By pushing your hands into the floor, the exercise will strongly engage your upper back muscles.

These muscles are responsible for maintaining and stabilizing the shoulder.

Excellent for recentering the shoulder and opening the chest .

The head should always remain well above shoulder level in the down position. (no neck sunk into the shoulders)

Scapula push-ups (scapula push up)

They can be done in the high push-up position, on your feet or knees, or on all fours to begin with.

The goal will be to push into the ground until the scapulas or shoulder blades are fully protracted, then to retract the scapulas by pushing the torso towards the ground.

You will need to repeat this movement in long sets of 15 to 25 repetitions.

Perfect exercise for shoulder mobility that will strengthen its stability, thus reducing the risk of dislocation and shoulder tendonitis.

Recommended for Crossfit, bodybuilding and calisthenics practitioners

Dynamic vertical shoulder stretch (slam hand)

In this exercise, you will raise your arms with control to head level and then forcefully throw them towards the ground, bending your knees slightly, like a whip.

The arm will be partially controlled in the ascent to avoid shoulder injury.

This exercise will prevent shoulder pain related to impingement and improve shoulder stability.

Perfect for tennis players warming up.

Dynamic Horizontal Shoulder Stretch (Hurricane)

In this exercise, you stand with your legs apart beyond shoulder width, arms completely relaxed.

The impulse for movement comes from the hips.

You will perform rotations successively to the right then to the left so that the arms are swung to form circles.

You can easily adjust the intensity by reducing or increasing the impulse force in the hips.

Same as above, ideal for tennis players.

Active hanging

Same principle as passive suspension, but this time we will add a dynamic component by introducing different types of movements. This is an advanced practice.

The principle will be to pull the scapulas or shoulder blades downwards in contraction, then release with control until stretching.

Above all, do not release without control!

The goal is to perform several sets of approximately 10 repetitions. The tension in the muscles should remain throughout the movement.

You can work on your mobility and strength while having fun exploring the possibilities based on these two fundamental movements.

The shaking

It's a practice that may seem strange at first, but the benefits are numerous.

It can be performed anywhere and in any physical condition.

Indeed, it will be enough… To tremble!

Shake your body, for example by hopping on your feet or bending your knees slightly.

The shoulders should remain completely relaxed during the exercise.

This practice releases a lot of muscle and tendon tension and decompresses the shoulder joint.

To be performed without moderation, especially for tennis players, bodybuilders, street workout enthusiasts, and CrossFitters. A wrongly “underrated” exercise!

External rotations of the shoulder

This exercise involves externally rotating the shoulder with a weight in the hand.

This load can be a dumbbell or an elastic band which will modify the starting position of the body.

This involves grabbing the resistance and rotating the shoulder backward.

Recommended for all athletes!

If you want to be able to self-rehabilitate and become independent in treating and preserving your shoulders or other joints:

“NEVER HURT” and “RECOVER” will be your best investment.

Nomad Slim
Founder of MOUVERS