Three exercises to 'life-proof' your shoulders, according to a mobility expert

Our shoulders can be an afterthought, with the chest and arms often taking centre stage. You may be throwing in the odd lateral raise or overhead press, but including exercises that improve shoulder health, and not just strength, are crucial. Personal Training duo, Milad and Ryan, founders of Tailored Fit PT, have shared three simple exercises that will help improve shoulder stability and mobility, and all you’ll need is a pair of dumbbells.

As a ball and socket joint, the shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the body, and it helps us move our arm in a variety of directions, including flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal and external rotation. We therefore rely on our shoulders a lot, but if the muscles surrounding the joint are weak (predominantly the rotator cuff muscles) its a one-way ticket to injury, pain, poor posture and subpar lifts in the gym – which none of us want.

These three exercises from Milad and Ryan focus on strengthening the rotator cuff muscles, improving the stability of the shoulder blade, as well as shoulder mobility. They suggest performing these moves two to three times a week, for three sets of 12-15 reps. You’ll also need to use a weight bench for a couple of the exercises, and if you don’t have dumbbells, you can substitute them for kettlebells. Give these a go next time you train to keep your shoulders healthy, for better performance in and outside the gym:

• Rotator cuff strength: dumbbell external rotations
• Mobility and strength: dumbbell lat pull-overs
• Shoulder blade stability: incline I’s and T’s

Check out the short video above if you aren't sure how to perform these exercises, it'll take you less than 60 seconds to watch. Milad and Ryan have also shared three brilliant bodyweight exercises to help strengthen your knees, if you're prone to pain in this area. If you're a desk-dweller and need to give your hips some TLC, then check out these five moves from a mobility expert.