Shoulder Stabilization Exercises

Shoulder instability occurs when you feel your shoulder “slipping” out of place or feeling too loose with physical activity. These symptoms are most likely to happen if you have shoulder arthritis or have injured your shoulder and not used the shoulder muscles in some time. A physical therapist may recommend shoulder stabilization exercises, which are movements aimed at strengthening the muscles in and around your shoulder joint to prevent instability. Always speak to your physician before beginning these exercises to ensure you can safely and correctly perform them.

Three-part Goals

Shoulder stabilization exercises have three focuses to improve shoulder function and stability, according to the University of Washington Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. The first is to prevent the shoulder from popping out of place, which can weaken and stretch the ligaments that hold the shoulder in place. The second is strengthening your rotator cuff muscles, which keep your shoulder in socket. The third goal is to focus on the scapula and shoulder blade muscles that hold the ball joint at the top of your arm in the socket of your shoulder joint.

Rotator Cuff Exercises

UW Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine recommends performing rotator cuff strengthening exercises five times per day for five minutes each. Perform both internal and external rotation exercises to target different parts of the rotator cuff. An example of an internal rotation exercise involves lying on your right side and holding a 1- to 2-pound dumbbell in your right hand. Bend your arm at your elbow until you make a 90-degree angle with your upper arm and forearm. With your palm facing upward, slowly turn your arm in to lift the weight until it touches your left arm. Slowly lower and repeat eight to 10 times, then switch sides to repeat on the opposite arm. To externally rotate your arm, you can stand and hold your arm in a similar position, swinging it outward until you feel a stretch instead of inward.

Scapula Exercises

You can use a stability ball to perform shoulder stabilization exercises that target the scapula. One example from the American Council on Exercise involves lying with your chest and abdomen resting on the ball while your feet and legs are extended behind you. Your body should be in a straight line from the top of your head to your toes, with your arms resting on the ball. Lift and straighten your arms overhead with your palms facing each other, then open your arms to your sides, stopping when your outstretched arms are even with your shoulders. Bend your arms at your elbows to make 90-degree angles with your arms, palms facing toward the floor. Keep your shoulders down as you hold this position for five to seven seconds, then release. Repeat three to five times.

Additional Shoulder Exercises

Many basic resistance-training movements can act as shoulder stabilization exercises. One example is performing a table pushup, which involves performing a pushup while standing with your arms resting on a sturdy table. Shoulder shrugs also can emphasize muscular stability. You do not need to make large movements to effectively train the shoulders. Instead, you can make circles with your shoulder in clockwise and counterclockwise motions or even place a ball on a table at hip height and press down on it with one hand. While seemingly simple, these exercises can be effective in shoulder stabilization.