AQUATIC ARSENAL Shoulders & More By Melanie Sparks According to Livestron.com website, The shoulder is the most mobile and flexible joint in the human body. The truth is, we all use our shoulders a lot figuratively and physically. From giving our participants a shoulder to cry on to dramatic cueing with our arms, our shoulders get a lot of work and are prone to strain and injury. Even a slight strain of the shoulder can change the movement of the entire upper body. The thoracic spine (upper back), scapulae (shoulder blades) and gleno-humeral joint (shoulders) all work together to create smooth, integrated upper body movement. So instead of thinking solely about the shoulder, we need to consider a three-part system within our aquatic workout design! Below are exercises and stretches that you can add to your aquatic arsenal to target these joints and associated musculature. Shoulder Front Raise & Pull Down Begin with arms extended just below shoulder height with palms down; press the arms through the water ending slightly posterior to the body. End with the palms facing behind the body or facing inward (as in picture). Return to the start position. PROGRESSION: Add buoyancy (targeting posterior muscles) or weighted equipment (targeting anterior muscles). With buoyant equipment, be sure to slow the movement (resist) when nearing the water s surface.
Shoulder Blade Squeeze Begin with the arms long and away from the side of the body. Retract the scapulae (squeeze the shoulder blades together) as if to bring the palms together behind your back. Thoracic Mobility Extension and Rotation Begin in a squat position, core braced and arms long at the sides with palms facing inward. Abduct the shoulder and rotate the spine to bring hand up and back (above the surface of the water); follow the movement with the head and eyes. Repeat on the opposite side.
PNF Shoulder Exercise Standing in a lunge position with right leg forward. Reach left arm across the body, bringing the hand to your right hip. Pull the arm up and open towards the left, keeping the arm under the surface of the water. PROGRESSION Add resistance bands. Posterior Deltoid Lift Begin in a lunge position with forward lean of the body and neck neutral (look toward the pool bottom slightly forward of the front foot.) Arms are long, directly below the shoulders. Perform transverse shoulder abduction, lifting the back of the hand toward the water s surface. PROGRESSION: Add light weights or resistance bands.
External Rotation Start with elbows flexed and positioned at the waist, hands in front of the body with forearms pronated (palms down.) Supinate palms, turning thumbs up, and externally rotate the shoulders by moving the hands outward, think of opening up your jacket. Shoulder Crawl (Anterior Deltoid Stretch) Begin with right side toward the pool wall and body facing forward. Flex the right elbow and place the hand on the wall. Slowly walk forward allowing the right arm to trail behind you on the wall until the elbow is extended and the shoulder abducted in the transverse plane with hand still at the wall. Turn and repeat on the opposite side. Posterior Deltoid Stretch Bring your right arm across the body (transverse adduction) without elevating the scapulae. Place the left hand at the forearm or above the elbow and apply gentle pressure to increase the stretch. Repeat on the opposite side.
Medial Deltoid Stretch Start with the back of the hand placed on the small of the back. Gently slide your hand across the body toward the opposite hip. Melanie Sparks is the owner of Aquatic Sparks that provides aquatic fitness instruction, water rehabilitation and aquatic instructor training. Melanie has been certified with the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA) since 2006 and the Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Program since 2007. She and her staff teach aquatic programming throughout Southern California. When she s not in the pool teaching or presenting at a workshop, she spends her spare time coordinating water fitness instructors and classes for the YMCA.