Do you notice your shoulders hunched forward? Or maybe your shoulder blades wing out? In either case, a little strengthening and releasing in the correct spots will fix that!
Here are some key points for healthy shoulders:
– The shoulder blades (scapulae) need to be mobile for the arm to move in full range of motion. A great exercise for this is arm circles reaching the arm as far away from the body as possible. Start with one arm at a time, then progress to two arms.
– The scapulae should be stable on the ribcage when placing weight on arms, like in planks and push-ups. If you notice your shoulder blades winging, do forearm planks pushing your chest away from the floor to pull the shoulder blades apart. This will strengthen your serratus anterior. You may also need to stretch your mid-traps and rhomboids.
– For the arm bone (humerus) to remain stable in its socket, the rotator cuff must be strong. There are so many exercises you can do on the reformer to strengthen all the sides of your rotator cuff!
– Neutral shoulder placement is important. If you notice your shoulders pulling forward it probably means that your pectorals are tight and they need to be stretched. Lying down on a foam roller with arms out in a T and then a Y will do the trick!
Next time you get on a reformer pay attention to your shoulders…and, if need be, see if you can make any adjustments to keep those shoulders healthy!
