Fifty percent of people with shoulder pain who see a general practitioner still report pain a year later, according to a study from the Netherlands. The fix: See a physical therapist who specializes in sports medicine, and modify common exercises with these tweaks from a recent report in Strength and Conditioning Journal.

BENCH PRESS
Moving your arms below shoulder height in this position can strain your shoulder joints, so place a rolled-up towel on your sternum to limit the bar's descent.

LAT PULLDOWN
Grab the bar with an underhand grip, hands less than shoulder-width apart. Lean back slightly and, keeping your back straight, pull the bar toward your chest. Allow your arms to straighten to return to the starting position.

SQUAT
Holding the barbell across your back can strain your shoulder joints. Try front squats instead. Hold the bar in the crooks of your fingers so it rests on the front of your shoulders, and keep your elbows high.

LATERAL RAISE
Hold the dumbbells with your thumbs up and your arms slightly in front of your body to remove stress from your rotator cuffs.