Military Muscle: Rotator cuff is overworked, underappreciated - Military Health, military health and wellness, military physical fitness - Military Times

Military Muscle: Rotator cuff is overworked, underappreciated

Q. How can I avoid a rotator-cuff injury?

A. “Overworked and underappreciated.”

You may think that applies to you and your job, but it’s really how your rotator cuff muscles feel about your attitude toward them.

Four small muscles — your supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis (or SITS for short) — make up a rotator cuff, one of the body’s most critical systems.

Their major function is to provide shoulder movement and shoulder-joint stability.

You probably haven’t paid much attention to their health and well-being, and now you’re experiencing a pain or restriction in your movement. Now what?

These injuries are all too common, unfortunately, and can be caused by a single event or by wear and tear over time.

To prevent injuries to your rotator cuff, or to rehabilitate after an injury, you have to take a serious and consistent approach to strengthening those four muscles.

There are lots of exercises to work the rotator cuff, using small weights or resistance bands or other methods. No matter what method you use, though, it’s important to go slow in every phase of the workout. This is where strength is built.

Here are four basic exercises, common among fitness trainers, that I do on a regular basis to keep my rotator cuffs in shape. The workout is called “The YTWL,” after the letters your arms will make while executing the four steps.

Use a physio-ball for each of these and go for 10 reps each:

Y: Position your arms outstretched at 45 degrees to your body line with your thumbs pointing up. Move your arms through as much range of motion as possible.

T: Position your arms out to your side with your thumbs pointing up. Do the same range of motion as the Y’s.

W: Start at the end position so you can see the W shape of your arms. Move your arms forward and the W will be less noticeable. When you move your arms back, try to crunch your shoulder blades together.

L: Keep your arms straight out to your side. Let your forearms drop down to form a 90-degree angle. Rotate your forearms up until your hands are horizontal.

Bob Thomas, a fitness trainer and retired naval flight officer, is director of the Navy Wellness Center in Pensacola, Fla. E-mail him at jomof14@cox.net.