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STILL IN MOTION
Because slowing down isn’t in the plan.
THIS WEEK'S STORY
I have a friend who swam competitively in college and has swum four days a week since. She is now 67. By any measure, she is exceptionally fit for her age: low resting heart rate, excellent cardiovascular endurance, strong for her size, no metabolic issues.
She also has bilateral shoulder tendinopathy and a partially torn labrum in her right shoulder.
Swimming is not injurious by nature. But swimming without the specific posterior shoulder and rotator cuff work that balances its internal rotation demands is a slow-motion shoulder injury waiting to happen. The freestyle stroke — the most commonly swum stroke — involves the arm pulling backward and inward thousands of times per session. Over years and decades of high-volume swimming without compensatory posterior shoulder strengthening, the rotator cuff tendons experience the same progressive overload failure that we discussed in Issue #38.
The solution is not to swim less. It is to swim more intelligently and to build the specific off-water training that the sport demands but never provides on its own.
THE MAIN MESSAGE
Swimming is genuinely excellent for adults over 60: zero impact, full-body cardiovascular demand, excellent for joint health, and sustainable at very high volumes without the overuse injuries that high-volume running produces.
The specific physical liabilities of swimming for adults over 60:
Internal rotation dominance: every freestyle and butterfly stroke involves the arm internally rotating as it pulls backward. Over thousands of repetitions, this chronically shortens the internal rotators and lengthens the external rotators — the same imbalance that causes shoulder impingement in pushing-dominant gym athletes (Issue #32).
Lat dominance and overhead restriction: the freestyle pull heavily recruits the latissimus dorsi. Over years, the lat shortens and restricts shoulder external rotation and overhead reach — the range needed to enter the water cleanly at the start of each stroke. This restriction forces compensatory elbow drop and crossbody reach that progressively loads the impingement zone.
Neck rotation asymmetry: bilateral breathing is ideal but most swimmers prefer one side. This creates asymmetrical neck rotation demand that builds cervical and thoracic asymmetry over years, contributing to the shoulder imbalances above.
Reduced proprioception: the buoyant environment reduces the proprioceptive and balance demand on the hips and ankles compared to land-based training. Swimmers who do not supplement with land-based training often have excellent cardiovascular fitness but significantly reduced balance and single-leg stability.
Off-water training that specifically addresses posterior shoulder strength, lat flexibility, and rotational core balance extends the swimming career and eliminates the shoulder pain that most long-term swimmers come to accept as inevitable.
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Stretch of the Week: Doorway Lat Stretch
Why: The latissimus dorsi is the largest muscle in the back and one of the primary muscles of the freestyle pull. After years of swimming, it shortens and restricts shoulder external rotation and overhead reach. This stretch is the most direct lat lengthening available and directly improves stroke mechanics.
How to do it:
Stand in a doorway and grip the door frame at about shoulder height with one hand
Step back slightly so the arm is extended, then sit your hips back and slightly to the opposite side
You should feel the stretch along the entire side of the back from the armpit to the hip
Hold 30 to 45 seconds each side, 2 rounds
For a deeper stretch, reach the gripping hand slightly higher and increase the hip-back movement
Tuesday expands with three lat and anterior shoulder stretches specifically ordered for post-swim recovery and pre-swim preparation.
Strength Move of the Week: Face Pull with External Rotation
Purpose: Simultaneously strengthens the rear deltoid, middle and lower trapezius, and external rotators of the shoulder — the complete posterior shoulder package that counterbalances the internal rotation dominance of swimming.
How to do it:
Anchor a resistance band at face height
Hold the band with both hands, palms facing downward, elbows at shoulder height
Pull the band toward the face, driving the elbows back and out to the sides
At the moment of full elbow pull, externally rotate both forearms upward so the hands end pointing toward the ceiling
The end position: elbows level with the shoulders, forearms vertical, band at face — a goalpost position
Hold 2 seconds, return slowly over 3 seconds
15 reps, 3 sets
Thursday expands with three posterior shoulder strength progressions specifically designed for swimmers, including a prone variation and the wall angel that rebuilds scapular control.
Suggested Equipment: Pull Buoy and Kickboard
A pull buoy floated between the thighs isolates the upper body during swimming by removing the kick, allowing focused attention on stroke mechanics and pull-phase shoulder position. A kickboard does the opposite — isolating the legs and allowing the swimmer to reduce upper body load during high-volume training weeks. Both tools are standard pool equipment, and using them strategically reduces the cumulative shoulder load during high-volume training periods.
Saturday covers the full aquatic training toolkit and the off-water training schedule that keeps swimmers in the pool for decades.
SIM60 receives no commissions or affiliate compensation for any equipment referenced in this issue. All mentions are for illustration purposes only.
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THE TAKEAWAY
Swimming is among the most joint-friendly and cardiovascular-efficient exercises available after 60. The shoulder injuries that end swimming careers are not caused by swimming. They are caused by swimming without the posterior shoulder and lat flexibility work that the sport demands but never provides. Add that work and the sport becomes sustainable for life.
YOUR TURN
Are you a swimmer? Has shoulder tightness or pain ever changed how or how much you swim? Or do you know a swimmer who has had to stop because of their shoulder? This is an extremely common story, and it has a very specific solution. Reply and tell me what your experience has been.
Still moving forward,
— The SIM60 Team
simsixty.com · Educational content only. Not medical advice. SIM60 receives no commissions or affiliate fees for any equipment referenced. All mentions are for illustration purposes only.
