Weight Training Exercises For Bursitis

Bursitis results from inflammation in a bursa sac. This injury is commonly associated with your joints, often because of overuse or repeated stress. Although bursitis can develop in many areas of the body, the most common places are your elbow, knee and shoulder. Treatment can take several approaches, but in regard to weightlifting, you want to strengthen the muscles near the affected area by doing exercises involving light weights and a high number of repetitions. Always see your doctor first before attempting to diagnose or treat any injury.

Elbow

For bursitis in your elbow, strengthen your forearms to relieve pressure on the elbow joint. Wrist curls will accomplish this. Use a pair of dumbbells and a bench. Hold the dumbbells, kneel on the ground and place your forearms on the bench so that your hands are palm up. Move your wrists toward you and slowly curl the dumbbells as far up as you can. Return to the starting position. Do 20 repetitions per set.

Knee

When bursitis occurs in the knee, strengthening your upper leg muscles will help relieve pressure on the knee. Use a leg press machine. Sit in the seat and place your feet on the foot pad. Adjust the seat so that your knees are at a 90-degree angle when you start. Select the appropriate amount of weight and slowly push the pad out until your legs are as far as they can go without locking the joints. Return to the starting position. Twenty repetitions per set is a good starting point.

Shoulder

You can help relieve shoulder bursitis by strengthening the deltoid muscle group through three exercises. Do 15 repetitions per set.
To perform a front raise, employ light dumbbells or just your arms depending on the severity of the injury. Start with your arms at your sides, and slowly raise them straight in front of you until they are parallel with the ground. Then lower them to the starting position.
You can perform lateral raises, while standing, with light dumbbells or with just your arms. Start with the arms at your sides, and slowly raise them straight out to the side until they are parallel with the ground. Lower them to the starting position.
You can perform the reverse fly exercise on an incline bench, using light dumbbells or just your arms. Start with your chest on the bench and arms straight down. Slowly raise your arms back until they are perpendicular with your torso. Return to the starting position.