The human body is full of important muscles, bones and organs that all must work together for a person to function well let alone exercise beyond normal exertion. We thought it would be fun over the next few weeks to talk about some of these body parts and how we can exercise them most effectively. Today we are looking at the shoulders.

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

Anyone who has ever injured their shoulders will attest to how vital they are to for everyday life. It’s not just for moving the arms but any time the body moves the shoulders are involved.

Even sports that are considered more lower-body strength like running or soccer use the shoulders for momentum, balance and stability. And certainly for sports that primarily use the arms like swimming, gymnastics, or basketball healthy shoulders are vital for successful participation.

Photo by GMB Fitness on Unsplash

The shoulder is made up of 3 bones: the clavicle (collarbone), scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone). The shoulder joint is the main joint of the shoulder and it’s a ball and socket joint which should allow the arm to move up and down in a fluid motion.

If a shoulder gets dislocated the upper arm bone pops out of the socket and it has to be inserted back in. It can be quite painful, so prompt medical attention should be sought after if such an injury occurs.

There are a lot of different exercises we can do to keep the shoulders healthy. These include weight training shoulder presses and side lateral raises. Also proper stretching of the shoulder muscles is vital to keeping them flexible and strong.

If the shoulder muscles are feeling sore the Zim’s line of pain relief products can help relieve that pain so we can get back to the gym quickly. The Zim’s Max-Freeze Liquid has the long-neck applicator that is perfect for hard to reach areas like the back, shoulder and neck.

To find the closest Zim’s retailer click here.