Baseball edition - taking care of your arm

Are you a baseball player who struggles with arm pain while throwing? If so, let’s review some strategies for arm care:

1) Strength train for your arm muscles - and I mean ALL of the arm muscles. This will help prepare them for the loads experienced during throwing. There are lots of ways to do this, but to optimally strengthen, consider challenging your muscles with a heavy enough resistance that you can not do more than 15 times for each set, and do at least 3-4 sets for each muscle group.

2) Stretch your shoulder if you have limited rotational range of motion - work particularly on shoulder internal and external rotation. You can do this with a ‘sleeper’ stretch, ‘cross body’ stretch, and doorway stretch.

3) Incorporate strength training and plyometrics for your lower body - your legs are more responsible for generating power than your arm. Exercises like squat jumps, lunge jumps, and single leg hops.

4) Gradually ramp up your throwing intensity and volume during the preseason and beginning of the season - throw consistently for at least 6 weeks prior to a competitive season.

5) Make sure that you are eating foods that will help recover your body from stresses from training and competing - adequate protein, calories, and rehydration are the building blocks for your muscle and connective tissue.