With the spring season just around the corner, now is the time to prepare for your favorite sport. This month’s fit fact focuses on the most effective exercises for preventing overuse injuries to the throwing shoulder. Although this program was designed with the baseball pitcher in mind, it can be used by any overhand throwing athlete to improve performance and prevent injury.

Injuries to the throwing shoulder usually involve the rotator cuff muscles, a group of four smaller muscles which work together to allow the shoulder to function. The damage to these muscles occurs over an extended period of time, and by the time a throwing athlete complains of pain affecting his/her activity, the recovery time can be much longer than desired. Other overuse injuries affecting the throwing athlete can occur to the elbow and the wrist.