12 Simple Rotator Cuff Exercises For Conditioned Shoulders

This is the first exercise we must do to engage those rotator cuffs and condition our shoulders properly. The movement mimics the swinging pendulum of a clock.

It works various areas of our shoulders - delts, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and supraspinatus. Doing this exercise does not require any complex equipment, and we could easily practice it at home.

Steps To Do It:

• Stand tall with one hand on a chair or table for support.
• Lean forward slightly with the other arm hanging freely at your side. Keep the back straight during the process.
• Slowly move the free hand like a pendulum, going forward and backward.
• Do not lock the knees while performing the pendulum movements.
• Once you do back-and-forth movement, go for a circular pattern.
• Continue doing this activity for 10 to 12 reps.

Sleeper stretch is a great workout for rotator cuff muscles that helps reduce pain by stretching the posterior shoulder capsule. This exercise mainly targets the teres minor and infraspinatus muscles effectively.

When there is difficulty making internal rotation of the shoulders, this exercise can help address the issue. Daily practice could return the body to the full range of motion quickly.

Steps To Do It:

• Lie down on the floor in a sleeper position, with the body lying on the left side.
• Bring the left arm in front of you, bending at the elbow at a perpendicular angle. The hands must be pointed upward.
• Support your head with the help of pillow or leave it freely for an added challenge.
• Place your right hand on the left one and engage the core muscles.
• Slowly push the left arm down with your right one. Do not move the upper arm as you go down.
• When the forearms nearly touch the ground, hold the pose for 30 seconds.
• Return back to the starting position without shifting the elbows.
• Practice this activity for desired number of reps.

When we have tight pectorals, it can restrict our shoulder movement, and this puts extra pressure on our rotator cuff. A doorway can be a great home structure to reduce the tension in rotator cuff by stretching the pecs.

Moreover, this exercise is easy to do and requires nothing complex. Doing this exercise regularly may also enhance our range of motion and reduce the risk of shoulder injuries.

Steps To Do It:

• Stand in front of the doorway and grip the sides with both hands.
• Place the hands on shoulder height and bend at the elbows. The back needs to be straight and shoulders relaxed.
• Place one of your feet forward, while the other stays back. This may help in creating better stability.
• Now, push your chest forward and enter the doorway. Hold the side of the doorway firmly.
• Go as far as possible, then hold at top of the movement for a few seconds.
• Bring the chest back to the initial position slowly and steadily.
• Continue practicing this exercise for 10 reps.

This exercise is also done in a sleeper position, but here, we’ll be using a dumbbell with our top hand. The external rotation movements in this position could strengthen our deltoids and make the rotator cuff flexible.

It is crucial to start the workout with a light dumbbell and small range of motion to avoid unnecessary injuries like muscle strains.

Steps To Do It:

• Start by lying down on the ground, the entire body facing to your right.
• Carry a dumbbell in the top right hand, while the other arm may support your head.
• Bend the knees and bring them closer to your abdomen. The back should be straight and the feet together.
• The dumbbell arm’s elbows must lie close to the body. Bend the elbows at 90-degree angle.
• Now, perform external rotation with the dumbbell, moving the hand towards the ceiling without shifting the upper arm’s position.
• When the hand is pointed upward, return back to the center.
• Rotate the arm down until the dumbbell reaches the abdomen. Then, go back to the center.
• Conduct this exercise for 10 to 12 reps.

By mimicking how we start a lawnmower, we could get an effective workout for our rotator cuff muscles. This exercise is practiced with the help of a resistance band and is better done through standing position.

When we pull the resistance band, the deltoid muscles work hard to lengthen the band and create proper tension to give us a powerful shoulder stretch.

Steps To Do It:

• Stand tall with the feet at hip width distance. The back needs to be straight and the shoulders relaxed.
• Loop a resistance band on one leg, while the other end will be pulled by your opposite hand.
• Slightly bend the knees to bring the resistance band closer to the legs. The upper body will also get lowered down. This provides room for more powerful stretch.
• Now, pull the resistance band till you come into the standing pose. The band should be pulled such that it goes diagonally across the body.
• Hold the pose for a few seconds, then bring the band back to initial position.
• Perform this exercise for desired number of reps.

Reverse fly is a fantastic rotator cuff workout that has power to stabilize our shoulder joint and reduce the risk of injuries. It also engages the upper back muscles, especially the rhomboids.

People typically conduct reverse flyers with a dumbbell. Doing it with bodyweight resistance is also a choice, but yields less muscle engagement and lower physical stress.

Steps To Do It:

• Grab a dumbbell in each hand and stand up straight.
• Hinge at the hips, push them back, and lean the upper body forward. Maintain a straight back throughout the movement.
• Bring both hands in front of you and extend them. There can be a slight bend in the elbows too. The palms need to face each other.
• Take a deep breath, and start raising the dumbbells. The dumbbells need to be raised laterally.
• Squeeze the scapula together as you lift the dumbbells.
• Bring them to shoulder level, then lower the hands back to starting position.
• Continue practicing this exercise for 10 to 12 reps.

Squeezing the shoulder blade is an easy yet effective workout for improving the health of our rotator cuffs. It could be practiced anywhere - at home or gym. Doing them regularly could help maintain a good shoulder function as well.

Moreover, this exercise is also great for our posture. By strengthening the muscles around our scapula, our shoulders and upper back will face less difficulties while doing day-to-day tasks.

Steps To Do It:

• Start by standing straight with the feet hip width apart. You can also do it while sitting on a chair.
• Keep the arms by your sides. The neck should be aligned with the back.
• Bend the elbows and place the hands in front of you.
• Engage the ab muscles, and squeeze your shoulder blades slowly.
• The back muscles get contracted due to the scapula squeeze.
• Stay in this pose for some seconds, then relax back into original position.
• Practice this activity for 5 to 7 reps.

Many people may have been familiar with the cross-body arm stretch during their warm up exercise routine. It is done in a standing position with unilateral movements.

When performing the cross-body arm stretch, our posterior delts get stretched, and this may help reduce tightness in the area. This stretch especially aids to fix the internal rotation. Try it from time to time to enhance the range of motion too.

Steps To Do It:

• While in a standing position, place the left arm across the chest. The arm should be extended straight.
• Lock the crossed arm with your right arm. The right arm should have a bend at the elbows, preferably at 90-degree angle.
• Engage the core, and slowly press the left arm towards the chest with your right arm.
• Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then release the press to relax the arms.
• Conduct this exercise for desired number of reps.

This cable exercise is usually done in a half-kneeling position because this pose helps stabilize the core and lower body, giving us ample room for isolating and engaging the deltoid muscles effectively.

When we pull the cable handles in this position, our lower body will not get too strained, reducing the risk of injuries. We must not overstretch the muscles while pulling the cable too.

Steps To Do It:

• Get in front of the cable machine and kneel down on left leg. The front toes should be aligned with the right knee.
• Put the cable pulley at the highest setting and grab the handles with your left hand.
• Extend the left arm forward while maintaining a straight back. The shoulders need to be back and down.
• Pull the handle towards the rib cage, bending the elbows in the process.
• Once the cable handle nearly touches the chest, release the handle back to starting position.
• Practice the activity for 10 to 12 reps, then switch sides.

If you suffer from rotator cuff tightness or pain, then ITWYs can be a great method to soothe the discomfort and return the cuffs to normal mobility. In this fun workout, we need to form the letters I, W, T, and Y while lying down in a pronated position.

Steps To Do It:

• Lie down in a pronated pose on the floor. You can slightly arch the back.
• Lift the head slightly while the legs should be extended behind.
• Next, bring the arms overhead, extending them straight. The arms must slightly be lifted off the ground too. This is the I pose.
• For the T pose, bring the hands down to the side and extend them laterally.
• Bend the elbows perpendicularly and lower the elbows to create the W pose.
• Extend the arms overhead at a 45-degree angle. This is the Y pose.
• Perform this activity for desired number of reps.

Working with this dumbbell exercise primarily helps to strengthen our triceps, but it also targets our deltoid muscles. Moreover, this workout is also fantastic for enhancing our shoulder’s range of motion.

If there is pain in the rotator cuff, it is best to do the elbow extension slowly to avoid making things worse. We may also overextend the joints while pushing the dumbbell back, so we must be careful regarding this issue.

Steps To Do It:

• Get seated on a chair while carrying a dumbbell in the left hand. The feet must be at hip width distance.
• Lift the left arm overhead, extending it fully. Then, bend at the elbow to push the dumbbell behind your head.
• You can place the right arm in your left upper arm for support.
• Hold this pose for 30 seconds to a minute.
• Return back to the initial position by raising the weight overhead.
• Practice this exercise for desired number of reps.

By doing the shoulder extension movements, we can effectively stretch the shoulder muscles and release any muscle tension in the region. Consistently doing this workout lengthens the back of our shoulders, and this enhances the range of motion.

We must ensure that the arms do not get overextended as it may injure our shoulder joint in the process. If done safely, this exercise is also great for correcting our bad posture in no time.

Steps To Do It:

• Start by standing tall with the feet hip width apart. The back needs to be straight and shoulders relaxed.
• Place the arms by your sides. The head should be looking straight ahead.
• Slowly raise the arms behind you, feeling a good stretch in the posterior delts and lats.
• Lift the arms as high as possible. At top of the movement, hold the pose for 30 seconds.
• Then, lower the arms back to the starting position.
• The chest should be puffed out while the back must remain straight during the entire process.
• Continue practicing this activity for 10 to 12 reps.