Playing overhead sports, like tennis, baseball and swimming, can take a toll on your shoulders over time. Usually the pain is just a nuisance, but eventually it can keep you from playing. It can even bother you with your daily activities. Take steps to prevent injuries in overhead sports.

In this tip, I discuss ways to decrease the chance of getting an overuse shoulder injury if you play an overhead sport. No, I don’t stop you from playing. Instead, I suggest something you can do in a few minutes each day to keep your shoulder ready for the demands of your sport.

You can perform an exercise program that will strengthen your upper body and possibly prevent shoulder injuries as well. Baseball pitchers have been doing these exercise programs for years. The Throwers’ Ten program is a good example. These daily exercises might help all overhead athletes.

These programs consist of exercises designed to develop strength of the rotator cuff and other muscles around the shoulder used in overhead sports. For example, the Throwers’ Ten program aims to develop the muscles specific to the throwing motion. You can vary the routine based on the demands of your sport.

Also read:
Internal impingement of the shoulder

You might want to learn proper techniques for the exercises before you start flailing your arms. Athletic trainers and physical therapists can both design the program for your sport and teach you to perform the exercises properly. Hopefully you can avoid injuries in overhead sports.