Rotator Cuff Exercises

Before you start practicing rotator cuff exercises, it is necessary to know what "rotator cuff" is all about. A group of small muscles that keep the ball and socket joints intact is known as rotator cuff. The muscles are relatively small and are called by the names Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor and Subscapularis or "SITS".

Rotator cuff muscles are likely to be strained when there is a sudden impact caused by actions such as throwing a ball or when lifting anything heavy. It could be strained when you indulge in sports such as tennis, swimming or baseball and also when you are doing exercises such as bench pressing or overhead pressing. There are exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles. It is advisable to use dumbbells for weight.

Rotator Cuff Exercises

Here are a few exercises to strengthen your rotator cuff muscles.

External Rotator on Knee: Sit on the bench with your foot propped on the seat. When you rest your elbow on the knee, the upper arm should be parallel to the floor. Rest your elbow on your knee perpendicular to the floor and slowly rotate the upper arm in an arc keeping a right angle to the elbow. Exhale and arc the arm back up to vertical position. Repeat this procedure 10 to 12 times for each arm.

Propped External Rotator: Sit on the bench with a barbell behind you. Rest the elbow on the barbell and slowly lower the dumbbell, until the upper arm is parallel to the floor. Remember to focus on contracting the small muscles in the back of your shoulder, while lifting the weight back to the vertical position. Keep in mind not to use a heavy load as it pulls your hand far too down. Repeat this 10 to 12 times with each arm. This would make a wonderful shoulder exercise.

Side-lying External Rotator: Lie on your side and place your elbow on propped under a sweatshirt or a towel. Keep the elbow of one hand in 90-degree position and exhale as you raise your other hand towards the ceiling. Now, slowly lower the weight towards your abdomen and repeat this rotator cuff exercises 10 to 15 times for one arm. Side-lying external rotator cuff exercise is the last exercise that is to be done in the external rotator cuff exercises.

If you are a health freak, you would be interested in information on various types of exercises and fitness activities.