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Achy shoulders? Sore back? It may be time to revamp your exercise your routine. The fitness world is so concerned with ~aesthetics~ nowadays that foundational strength, stability, and mobility is often neglected. Check out these prehab tips to bulletproof your body and prevent having to do any future rehab.

Do these exercise 2-3 times per week! Prioritize them.

1. Show Your Rotator Cuff Some Love

Shoulder injuries are nasty and nagging. However, they can be prevented by increasing shoulder stability and strength

  • Banded “No Money” 
    • Great for: scapular retractors & depressors activation
    • Strengthens: External Rotators
    • Video Lesson
  • Scapular Push-Ups
    • Great for: improving shoulder function
    • Strengthens: Serratus Anterior (responsible for shoulder retraction, or “punching” movements)
    • Video Lesson
    • *Careful! These look like push-ups from the start, but your elbow remain in extension throughout the whole movement
  • I-T-Ys 

2. Core Conditioning

No crunches here! This is all about building foundational strength. We want to work those internal stabilizers.

  • Bird-Dog
    • Great for: improving stability
    • Strengthens: Core and Back
    • Video Lesson
  • Leg Slides 
    • Great for: improving core stability and strength
    • Video Lesson
  • Stir-The-Pot
    • *Caution*! Harder than it appears!
    • Great for: bracing the core, resisting rotation in lower spine
    • Video Lesson 

3. Foam Roll!

Foam rolling is great for increasing mobility, relieving tension, and myofacial release. Don’t know where to start? Check out this post!

4. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

Did you know that if you are dehydrated (as small as an amount as 2% of your body weight) exercise performance suffers? Skeletal muscle is over 70% water. So naturally, when our bodies are lacking H2O, our muscles are parched as well. A ton of research has contributed dehydration to muscle injuries. So get chugging!

5. Listen to Your Body

If you feel like you need a break, take one! Our muscles and bodies do most of it’s recovery while we are sleeping and resting. That “no pain, no gain” mantra? Toss it!

 

Written by GUADS staff member Angelina.