Why Are Arm Circles Considered A Dangerous Exercise?

Ever heard of arm circles? If you had, then you probably know how good they are at stretching your arm muscles and improving flexibility. But, yes, there is a catch. Arm circles can be dangerous for you as well. Surprised? Well, don’t be. This article will let you in on all the good and bad of arm circles and how you can avoid the bad ones. Let’s get into it.

What are arm circles?

An arm circle is a stretch and arm toning exercise, performed while extending both arms on your sides and rotating them in circles. These stretches can easily be performed before a workout to warm up your arm muscles or can be done post workout to relax the tension in the muscles, caused due to the workout. It is a very common exercise to warm up your arm muscles before a workout and is a common part of the fitness routine of many people. But arm circles should be done in the right way, else it can cause injuries.

How to do arm circles?

If you need to perform arm circles without any injuries, learning the right technique should be your first step.

Step 1: Perfect your posture by standing straight on the floor. Your back should be straight, chest upright, and your feet should be kept a little bit wider than your shoulder’s width.

Step 2: Now, extend both your arms on their sides, in a horizontal manner. Make a T shape with your body and do not put too much pressure on your joint muscles.

Step 3: Start making circles with your arms in their respective directions. The circles should not be too big or small but of medium circumference. While making circles, keep your palm and wrist static-they shouldn’t be making circles with your arms.

Step 4: To intensify the stretching, you can hold lightweight dumbbells in both hands.

Step 5: Perform at least 10-15 repeats of arm circles and then take a rest. You can increase the number of repeats with the passage of time and practice.

Why are arm circles considered dangerous?

Though the arm circle is a very famous and common exercise, it does have a few drawbacks.

1. Arm muscle and joint injury

Some studies revealed that beginners who are not aware of the right technique of arm circles face unrepairable muscle injuries in their shoulder joints. The pressure on these joints can also dislocate their arms.

2. Tightness in muscles

Athletes who perform arm circles as a stretching exercise before their competition were found to perform not too well in their competitions due to the tightness in their muscles. Arm circles work more on the internal rotators, while bodybuilders need their external rotators to be worked more – so they get flexible and they can lift those heavy barbells easily. They have been seen with arm injuries like bursitis and glenohumeral instability.

So, are there any benefits?

Arm circles can be worthy of your time if done properly. They offer irresistible benefits, such as:

• They help in losing arm fat
• Help in toning your muscles
• Improves flexibility of arms
• Build triceps and biceps
• Easy to perform
• Equipment-free exercise

Do we have any alternatives?

So, what if you can’t perform arm circles due to any particular reason? Don’t worry. You’ll find a number of alternatives, specific to everyone’s needs, that you can try instead of arm circles. Some of these alternative exercises can be:

• Tricep dips
• Push-ups
• Bear crawls
• Scissors
• Push and stretch elbow

These are just a few to name, you can find many other exercises to cover the benefits window of arms circle exercise or can combine 2 or 3 workouts to get there.

Final word

Are arm circles dangerous? We’ll say only if you perform them with the wrong technique and at the wrong time. Other than that, arm circles are perfectly safe to perform. They have pretty amazing benefits to offer and we would recommend you to incorporate arm circles in your arm workout routine if you want some good cuts and shape of your arm. But if you are aiming for any athletic performance, do not practice arm circles before your competition. You can pick it up later on.