Welcome back to Musician’s Maintenance! If you’re the type of musician who understands the importance of taking care of your body, this newsletter helps make it easier.
This week’s edition is sponsored by me! If you need a more customized solution than resources from a free newsletter can provide, let’s talk! I offer a free 15 minute call where we can chat about your specific situation and how I may be able to help. You can book the call here.
I’m Dr. Cody Weisbach, and I appreciate spending the next few minutes in your inbox. I’m keeping it simple this week with just a brief workout for shoulder mobility. Scroll down and start taking care of those shoulders!
Let’s go!
Move: 4 Simple Exercises for Shoulder Health
Healthy shoulders are wildly important for musicians, and mobile shoulders are healthy shoulders.
Here’s a simple 4 exercise routine from doctor of physical therapy Jen Fraboni, with a self-test, that will help you keep those shoulders mobile so they handle all the playing and stress you want to throw at them.
Watch the videos, then try the routine below.
- Self Test: Start with the self test. Just get a sense of how far each shoulder moves, and how easy it is to move each side.
- Open Book Thoracic Rotations: 10 per side. Make sure you keep breathing.
- Wall Pec Stretch: 5 breaths per side. Keep the stretch moderate and pain free. If the stretch is too intense or painful, just step away from the wall until you feel comfortable stretch, no pain.
- Lying on Hands Rotation Stretch: 5 slow breaths. Then do 5 slow elbow lifts (if they feel comfortable).
- Redo the Self Test: Re-test your rotation and see if it’s improved. I bet it has.
- Seated Wall Angels: Now that you’ve taken the brakes off of the shoulders, let’s get them moving. Do 10 slow repetitions of the wall angels. Don’t worry if you can’t move as high as she does. Just slide up the wall until if feels awkward, pause and lower down.
Shoulder Pain?! | Jen Fraboni, PT, DPT via Instagram
Help Turn the Tide of Injury in Musicians
The rate of injury in musicians is insanely high and injury ends more careers than it needs to.
If you want to be a part the solution, one of the easiest things you can do is connect fellow musicians with good resources.
If you find information like this helpful, please consider forwarding this email to a friend, colleague, teacher or classmate. They can also sign up here. Thanks!