5 best yoga poses and exercises to prevent shoulder injury

Shoulder injuries are common, and they can be very painful. You may get them from playing sports or doing repetitive activities with your arms.

However, there are some simple yoga poses that can help prevent injuries as well as treat them.

Yoga Exercises to Prevent Shoulder Injury

Here's a look at five such workouts:

1) Shoulder Flexion

To do the pose:

Start in a seated position, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Straighten your back, and move your shoulders forward and down, away from you.
Hold for 30 seconds to a minute; it's best to work up to holding this pose for longer periods.

2) Cat Cow Pose

This exercise is a good one to do after a long, stressful day of work. It stretches the spine and helps strengthen the muscles in the back.

The cat cow pose also helps relieve tension in the upper back and neck by gently rolling them from side to side. If you're feeling particularly sore, try doing this pose for ten minutes before bedtime.

Here's how it's done:

Sit on a yoga mat on your knees. Get on all fours, and arch your back.
Inhale deeply as you maintain this position.
Bring your back up, forming an inverse arch. Breathe out once your back comes up.
Repeat the back-and-forth motion for as many seconds as you can.

3) Child's Pose

Here's how this pose is done:

Start on your hands and knees, with your feet flexed behind you and your knees below your hips.
Bring each knee forward till you're in a lunge position with one leg bent in front and the other stretched behind you.
Stretch out your arms in front of you so that they're parallel to the floor.
Lower yourself onto all fours by bending at the waist and bringing your forehead down towards the floor between both palms (or fingertips).
Your elbows should be tucked tight next to your body for balance and support; be careful not to sink too far into the pose if it causes discomfort in the shoulder joints.
Take ten deep breaths before coming back up on an inhale; repeat several times throughout the day or whenever it feels right.

4) Wall Angel

This pose is great for strengthening muscles such as those that control the shoulders, but they also help improve posture by strengthening the muscles across the upper back and chest.

For people who have shoulder issues due to overuse or injury (such as tennis elbows), consider modifying this pose by placing support under one foot instead of bending both knees. Raise them up along with hands above the head so that no pressure is put upon shoulder joints during exercise.

To do the wall angel, stand with your back to a wall with your feet about hip-width apart and arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height.
Bend forward from the hips, pressing into the heels of your feet and bringing them towards each other for support if necessary.
Exhale as you lift one arm up towards the ceiling, and lower it back down as you inhale and raise the opposite arm.
Repeat on both sides five times while taking deep breaths between each movement.

5) Downward Facing Dog

There are several ways to do a downward facing dog. The most common way is to get on your hands and knees with knees hip-width apart. Push back so that the arms are straight but not locked, and the head is lifted up.

Lie down, and get into a raised plank position. Bring your hips up and inhale as you hold this position.

The benefits of this pose are numerous: it stretches out the hamstrings, quads, and calves; improves balance by focusing on form, and calms the mind by concentrating on breathing deeply.

If you have any shoulder issue or injury, modifying this pose is important so that you don't aggravate your condition. To modify the downward facing dog, try bringing your palms or forearms onto blocks instead of having them flat on the ground (make sure to keep your elbows bent).

Alternatively, if you're working towards being able to comfortably hold this position without modification, just work very slowly till you reach an appropriate height for a full range of motion (ROM).

Takeaway

You can do yoga exercises at home, in a group setting, or with a personal trainer. Yoga is also good for your body and helps keep you healthy. Yoga exercises are an easy way to prevent shoulder injuries and strengthen the muscles.

As you can see from the aforementioned list, there are many ways to prevent shoulder injury.

The most important thing is to find the workouts that work for you. If one doesn't seem to be helping, try another. We hope we've shown you some great exercises to include in your yoga routine.

5 Best Yoga Poses and Exercises to Prevent Shoulder Injury