3 Yoga Poses to Stretch & Strengthen Your Rotator Cuffs

By Tiffany Cruikshank for Yoga Journal.

These exercises can help you build a supportive structure for your yoga practice—or any other pursuit.

Shoulder pain is a common complaint among yogis, and no wonder. Your shoulders work with your wrists and arms to press up, slowly lower, and stabilize your body throughout your practice. The muscles of the rotator cuff account for a significant portion of that movement, but that also puts them at a greater risk of overuse or injury. Add to that our desk-bound lifestyle, in which our shoulders can become tight and imbalanced from hours hunched over the keyboard, and you can see how easily this area of the body can become aggravated.

Fortunately, it is possible to practice rotator cuff exercises that stretch and strengthen the muscles to relieve shoulder pain and reduce your chances of experiencing an injury. Bolstering these muscles through yoga exercises extends their ranges of motion and prepares them for the physical demands of your practice, your workday, or any other pursuits.

To learn more about rotator cuffs, pain and injury, as well as 3 yoga-based exercises to stretch and strengthen the rotator cuff, click here to read the full article on Yoga Journal.