Think shoulder injuries are no big deal in roller derby? Do enough damage and you’ll be off your skates, trust us. And unable to lift objects, carry bags on one side, sleep on one side, etc etc. From your favorite pink fitness buff, check out how to strengthen your rotator cuffs. You’re welcome for the amazing rhyme scheme.
Strengthening Weak Rotator Cuffs by Pyro Maim Ya of Pynk Fitness
I’ve had shoulder injuries on the brain lately – a couple of my derby sisters are in slings right now and my own shoulder is whispering its discontent over the heavier lifting I’ve been doing. I learned a bit about strengthening my rotator cuffs after a nasty run-in with a brick wall in OKC a few years ago, and in conjunction with my physical therapy, this knowledge made a big difference in how quickly I was able to return to full contact. Whether you’re coming back from an injury or just trying to prevent one, there are exercises you can do to help build up and protect your shoulders.
[Please note: I am NOT a doctor and am not dispensing any medical advice – if you are injured, I absolutely want you to get checked out by a physician and determine what your specific injury is. If you have the time and can afford it, aggressive physical therapy will cut your recovery time and rebuild your strength more quickly. It won’t be fun but it’s worth it.]
The shoulder provides one of my best arguments for positional and lower-body blocking. It’s so flimsy in comparison to our hips! The shoulder is a very shallow ball and socket joint held together by the rotator cuff muscles. Any weakness of these muscles makes it easy for the ball to slide partially out of the socket, especially during a hard impact. This partial dislocation stretches out the rotator muscles, making them even weaker. Constant force against shoulders leads to slippery shoulder sockets – the next time the shoulder takes a hit, the head is likely to slide out again. The tendons in the rotator cuff don’t do much to support the shoulder (thanks for nothing, guys) and can easily become impinged in the loose joint, causing considerable pain and making it really difficult to do pull-ups or brush your own hair.
The standard treatment is rest, but that’s not enough – rest won’t strengthen the muscles. These muscles are slow healers – strengthening them usually takes 6-12 weeks and your shoulder may not be back to full strength for 6 frustrating months.
So how do you prevent this overuse trauma when Constance Force could be your derby name? A few simple moves with a set of dumbbells will build up your rotator cuff muscles, providing a nice sturdy cushion of protection that also looks pretty rockin’ in a sleeveless jersey.
- Standing biceps curl
- Reverse curl (or zottman curl) – at the top of a palms-up bicep curl, turn wrists so that palms face down as you press down
- Cross body bicep curl
- Front raise
- Lateral raise
- Bent over single arm lateral raise
- Bent over row
Hex Chromosome 