shoulder degeneration

i wonder if one of those shoulder straps that one can wear would reduce shoulder issues. the strap wraps around both shoulders and around the back.....you know how canoe paddlers have kind of a permanent hunch back? well, i think the strap would pull ones shoulders back whilst paddlng?

I wear a shoulder harness but not while I'm paddling. It's too restrictive. What works best for me (since I've always been susceptible to rotator cuff problems) is to work hard at the gym on my shoulders. I stay away from real heavy weights and lean towards high reps. Doing nothing and than paddling doesn't work for me.

Ive been looking on amazon their are straps called posture correcter . Have you seen how a person that is heavily into canoeing for instance has rounded shoulders......i think their must be a posture corrector that would be tolerable whilst paddling. i will wear a rash shirt underneath.

Ultimately you will want to learn how to "set your shoulder blades" to avoid shoulder issues. Sometimes it is called "putting your shoulder blades in your back pockets" - meaning that you actively use your back muscles to pull the shoulders back and down. This is tiring until your muscles get conditioned.

You might be interested in the Intelliskin lineup. I have worn one of their original shirts for years while paddling. I find it really helps and, as you can see on the website, the designer was a surfer so the shirts act as a rash guard to boot.

Oh - and I have found that my problem is actually tight hamstrings which make me cheat and round my back to get more reach.

The problem with every apparatus of that type is that while it corrects the problem in the very short term, it makes it worse in the long run. These things weaken the very muscles and ligaments that need strengthening.

The key is to find the right exercises for the muscle groups, then do them religiously.