Do you have any pain
when you paddle holding a beachball between your arms?
Seriously this exercise, done usually with an imaginary ball results in lessening shoulder movement and maximizing use of abs and back muscle. It also tends to lock the elbows.
While no one actually canoes like that it does get the proper muscles into play… I have two shoulders that are unstable and canoeing never bothers them because I never make them move much.
That said there are still forces transmitted through the shoulders that may be causing pain even if you are doing everything correctly.
how about things like a seat back band
– Last Updated: Nov-28-09 12:02 PM EST –
...... or maybe even some sort of body brace like an elastic shoulder harness or other form of torso support body brace ... you know , the medical type things .
A couple a years ago I took a stupid spill again off a ladder and got busted up ... what I'm saying is "it hurt" me . Trying to move immediately after , I knew it wasn't just a little forget it and move on thing .
I used a body brace for a month (a wrap around kind with heat gel packs she bought me) , and that really did make it so I keep on going (and Tylenol) ... so things like these could probably make a big difference if being used when "not hurt" .
I think some people wear stuff like this as standard equipment when doing strenous stuff just because it's suppose to give added body support under rigerous exercise and help reduce strain .
keep your arms straight
Kayaking and canoeing should be done with arms straight out. Seems awkward at first but please stick with it!
Keep
Keep upper arm bent to avoid dislocating shoulder.
Stop eating sugar to avoid muscle/joint pain. That’s the short story.
What is your blade width?
1/4" in width can make a big difference for me in how hard paddling is in my shoulders. I prefer the ZRE blades closer to 8".
Lunging
"I lean pretty far forward at the waist with every stroke and pull back mainly with my torso."
“I always thought the top hand was supposed to push forward and down”
Sounds to me like you’re over-extending or “lunging” Try this- shorten your stroke, stiffen your upper elbow, and allow your waist to rotate so you draw more power from yor large muscle groups in your back and less from your arms and shoulders.