I consider myself an avid swimmer , and I hear this comment on occasion. Of all the sports I've ever participated in, by far, swimming has been the most challenging as far as cardiovascular and coordination demands. Swimming well is HARD! Stroke efficiency, for the average terrestrial being, is not natural, I can attest. Yeah, if I were a more efficient swimmer, sure, it would be a little easier, but do take note that a man my size burns about 511 calories/hr. of lap swimming. That's more than a decent number of calories burned with far less pounding on the joints than say, running. However...
Swimming, contrary to popular opinion, is far from stressful on the joints. In fact, swimming-related injuries are deceivingly high- back, shoulder, groin, and knee issues plague competitive swimmers. When I hear swimming prescribed as an alternative to land-based exercise, I always pay close attention to the patient's diagnosis and their range of motion limitations.
For example, I might steer away from prescribing the freestyle or breastroke to a patient with lumbar spinal stenosis since extension typically worsens symptoms. In fact, these patients would be better off with the sidestroke or backstroke or even just treading water in the deep end. Patients with a torn medial meniscus would not benefit from using the breastroke kick and yet, others with shoulder impingement should certainly get their stroke analyzed and focus on non-overhead drills and land-based rehab while their symptoms subside.
On the aside...if you're a swimmer out there, just remember that you could take on a 250 lb. lineman in the deep end of the pool any day of the week!
For more information on swimming injuries and how to prevent them, contact Dr. Yoo at jerry@mavenpt.com.
So, you're an athlete who specializes in playing overhead sports (baseball, tennis, lax, softball, etc) and you've finished fall ball, itching for the spring season to come sooner than later. How exactly do you keep your shoulder safe and sound? Work on Your Posture! Huh? What does posture have anything to with the shoulder? It has EVERYTHING to do with keeping your shoulders working at its best. Practicing good posture while incorporating seated rows, bent over rows, and scap retraction exercises may be helpful in keeping the coast clear of potential shoulder injuries.
Back to Basics- You may THINK you know everything there is to pitching, serving, shooting, and throwing a ball, but now is a GREAT time to get some seasoned eyes on your form and technique to make sure you're recruiting the right muscles for your sport's demands.
The Rotator Cuff: To Strengthen or Not To Strengthen? I see many overhead athletes using preventative shoulder injury exercises emphasizing rotator cuff strengthening. Great. I like seeing more and more people utilizing these exercises in the gym setting as well. However, if you have a shoulder injury, strengthening the rotator cuff muscles may not be the best thing and, in fact, may worsen your shoulder pain. Conversely, incorporating rotator cuff strengthening exercises may be a great way to keep your muscles ready for the upcoming season.
If you have pain during overhead activities, you should first seek medical attention before attempting to do these types of exercises.
Dynamic Trunk Stabilization: What's that? In layman's terms, working "the core" muscles. However, physical therapists and other healthcare and wellness professionals try to refrain from using the term, "core strengthening", because it has been erroneously equated to exercises used to develop the six-pack (or, rectus abdominus), which is far from the truth.
We're talking about getting the deep transverse abdominus muscles (which aren't visible) to work synchronously with the hip/pelvis muscles to provide a dynamically stable base of support, hence, dynamic trunk stabilization.
A dynamically stabilized trunk provides better power and improved stamina to your shoulder muscles during repetitive, overhead activities; in essence, you're creating a powerful "slingshot" effect by having your shoulders launch an object from a stabilized platform (deep abdominal muscles, hips, and pelvis). If you compare the relative size of your shoulder muscles to that of your hips, abdominals, and pelvis, you can appreciate why dynamic trunk stabilization is important in protecting your shoulders for the long haul.
That all said, exercising the right muscles, the right way, will help you keep your shoulder well- prepared for the spring onslaught!!
If you want more specific advice about your shoulder and exercises to help prevent shoulder injury, please contact Dr. Yoo at mavenoffice@gmail.com.
Dr. Jerry Yoo Clinical Director/Co-Owner of Maven Sports Medicine
I consider myself an avid swimmer , and I hear this comment on occasion. Of all the sports I've ever participated in, by far, swimming has been the most challenging as far as cardiovascular and coordination demands. Swimming well is HARD! Stroke efficiency, for the average terrestrial being, is not natural, I can attest. Yeah, if I were a more efficient swimmer, sure, it would be a little easier, but do take note that a man my size burns about 511 calories/hr. of lap swimming. That's more than a decent number of calories burned with far less pounding on the joints than say, running. However...
