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Exercises to Strengthen Shoulder Muscles After Surgery

Shoulder surgery may be the solution to pain in a shoulder. But if it is not paired with a strict regime of exercise to strengthen the muscles, you can end up with stiff joints as well as a shoulder without a good range of motion. Learning the correct exercises to strengthen the muscle without causing further injury is essential to recovery.

  1. Warm Up

    • Before performing any exercises after surgery, warm up properly. A shoulder after surgery will likely be stiff, so performing warmup exercises to loosen the muscles can help prevent injury. Do 5 to 10 minutes of light aerobic exercise to get the blood flowing and increase the heart rate.

    Building Strength

    • Never attempt exercises that will strain your muscles too quickly. Exercise a given group of muscles every other day to prevent injury. If you work on rotator cuff exercises Monday, do shoulder blade exercises Wednesday. This ensures that you are not overexerting the muscles and they have time to heal. When doing weight-training exercises with free weights, you should feel fatigued after a 12-repetition set. If you feel tired at any time before that, decrease the weight to prevent injury. Start with a low weight and work your way up to the correct weight. It is always better to underestimate your abilities.

    Exercises

    • Your shoulder can be exercised in a variety of ways, focusing on the rotator cuff, shoulder blade, and whole shoulder exercises. It is also important to exercise the biceps, neck and chest for overall body strength. If you have just had surgery, do exercises that do not require weights. Try doing a pendulum swing. Lean over with your arms hanging toward the floor. Swing your arms slowly in small circles, enlarging them slightly with each swing. This helps improve range of motion. Do a series of stretches to strengthen the whole shoulder. Lean over at the waist and rest both of your hands on a countertop so that your body is at a 90-degree angle. Lean your chest toward the floor to stretch your shoulders.

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