Rotator Cuff Exercise

• The rotator cuff is a small muscle that allows the shoulder to turn, rotating the upper arm. A strong rotator cuff will solidify the shoulder and help the joint resist hyper extension. To perform a basic rotator cuff exercise, start by finding an elevated flat surface like a weight bench and lie down on your side. Next, prop the elbow of the arm closer to the floor up on the bench, and open the hand to make a perch or stand for the other arm. Place the bicep of the arm closest to the ceiling in the perch, allowing the forearm to dangle toward the floor. Rotate the dangling arm at the shoulder so the forearm does from pointing down to parallel with the floor. Lower the arm back down and repeat. If you have never worked out your rotator cuff before, you may not need any weight to feel fatigue after 20 to 40 reps. When you gain more strength in your rotator cuff, hold a light dumbbell with the dangling arm to increase the difficulty.
  
  

Frontal Shoulder Lift

• Working the supporting muscles around the large deltoid muscle, which sits on top of the shoulder, is key for shoulder stability. To do the front shoulder lift, take dumbbells of equal weight in each hand. Stand with your back straight and the weight resting comfortably at your sides. Next, raise one of your arms straight out in front of you, keeping the arm straight, as if you are going to point at something. When your arm comes parallel to the floor, slowly lower it back to your side and switch to the other arm. Continue alternating arms for 15 to 20 repetitions or until your arms feel fatigued. It is important to keep the weight under control so you do not swing your arms and move your spine, as this can result in back soreness and reduced effectiveness of the exercise.
  
  

Side Shoulder Lift

• The side shoulder lift is similar to the frontal shoulder lift in that it uses two equal-sized dumbbells from a standing position. To do the side shoulder lift, extend both arms out to your sides simultaneously, creating a "T" or cross shape with your body. Once the weight is parallel with the floor, lower the arms slowly back to your sides. It is imperative that you keep the weight under control as you lower it, since allowing it to swing down quickly can cause blunt trauma to your legs. As an alternative to performing several repetitions, you also can lift the weight once and hold the T position until fatigue forces you to lower the weight back to your sides.