Believe it or not, swimmers typically cover distances ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 yards per practice, and sometimes even more! The swimming season spans eight months and concludes with a single meet, where outcomes can be determined by mere thousandths of a second. Consequently, missing weeks of practice due to shoulder injuries is a luxury swimmers cannot afford.
Have you ever wondered why your shoulders are always so achy? The truth is, swimming makes athletes susceptible to several shoulder injuries, with two of the most common being tendinitis and multidirectional instability, which can lead to shoulder dislocations.
Overuse injuries are prevalent among swimmers due to the frequent demand on their shoulders to generate power through the water. These injuries occur when shoulder muscle imbalances become too great, causing muscles to become overworked, inflamed and irritated, leading to tentinitis. Common causes include a lack of a balanced supplementary program, insufficient rest, and poor lifestyle choices (such as sleeping on your stomach).
Another common injury is multidirectional instability, or an overaly “loose” shoulder. Despite swimmers typically being very flexible, excessive flexibility can lead to harm if the muscles aren’t prepared to handle the motion. Healthy shoulders require a balance between mobility and stability. Excessive shoulder mobility strains the smaller stabilization muscles, leading to overuse, fatigue, and injury.
So, what can we do to prevent these injuries? Keep reading for the answer!
1. Take care of yourself outside the pool:
- Avoid sleeping on your shoulders or stomach; sleep on your back instead.
- Stop sitting all day, which tightens your hips and hip flexors.
- Warm up effectively every single practice (see below!)
2. Commit to a complementary strength program 1-3 days a week.
- Overworked shoulders often result from imbalances and weaknesses, causing other muscles to take over tasks they aren’t meant for.
- Incorporate the exercises listed under #4 into your warm-up and workout to fortify your shoulders and avoid injury.
- Adequate scapular strength and control is absolutely key for healthy shoulders.
3. Opt for mobilization over static stretching
- Since swimmers are typically quite flexible athletes, static stretching can often do more harm than good.
- Use a lacrosse ball for soft tissue work to moblize and release tense muscles
- See below for key exercises to maintain pain-free shoulders!
4. Add in these 4 exercises to warm you up, create healthy balance, and stay injury free!
- Lacrosse Ball Pec Release
- Lacrosse Ball Pec Release
- Thoracic Spine Rotation
- Banded Serratus Punch
- Dolphin Press
Fellow swimmers, let’s incorporate these practices, warm up with purpose, build strength with intention, and embrace mobilization as a ritual. By doing so, we equip ourselves with the tools needed to navigate the currents, protect our shoulders, and ensure our aquatic journey remains a source of joy, strength, and resilience. Swim on, champions!
If you are continually dealing with shoulder pain thats disrupting your training, we can help. We will solve the root cause of your pain, and devise a customized program to not only get you better, but keep you better long term! Just click here for a free 20 minute phone consult to get started!
Thanks for reading!
The Charlotte Athlete