Shoulder Exercises - The Difference Between
Rehab And Strengthening Exercise
by Dr. Kareem Samhouri author of Double Edged Fat Loss

More is better, right? Actually, when it comes to rehabilitative strengthening, this could not be further from the truth. Rehabilitative exercise has a completely different goal than the typical gym workout, or strengthening program. You see, when you are lifting for pure strengthening, 'momentary muscle failure' is necessary, meaning reaching a point where you either cannot complete a repetition or you break form.

In the case of rehabilitative exercise, this is the last phase of therapy. For several weeks prior to strengthening an injury, it is much wiser to reduce impact on the injury site, and strengthen the surrounding muscles, thereby reducing impact on the injury even more.

The fact is, your body does need to rest, but not your whole body. Times have changed. It used to be that following injury you were told to spend time in bed resting. Nowadays, the sooner you get moving the better. Increased levels of exercise lead to increased levels of circulation. Your blood is your healing power.

Increased circulation, or blood supply to muscles, tissue, and organs, allows for better and faster delivery of oxygen and nutrients, which are vital to recovery of any tissue.

The next time that you are injured, think exercise first. Remember that you are entering into a rehabilitative strengthening program, meaning that you should rest your injury and work everything else out. With the proper exercise program and/or care from a physician or physical therapist, you can overcome your shoulder injury and improve your fitness level at the same time.

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