Rev your rotator cuff for strong shoulders – Mondays with Margot
With any neck or shoulder issue, rotator cuff support needs to be addressed. There are many ways to wake up these muscles and the key to each is the positioning of the arm bone at the shoulder. Imagine a magnet gently pulling the arm bone back and down in the socket.
Steps
– Stand with your left side facing a wall. (In the video Jill has her arm resting on a ledge; the ledge is a bonus and not necessary)
– Raise your left arm to below shoulder height and bend elbow to 90º
– Adjust your body position so your elbow is slightly forward of your torso and your entire forearm is pressed lightly against the wall. (If your shoulder feels lifted or scrunched, you need to move farther away from the wall)
– Make a light fist with your left hand and start to turn your arm forward and back. (The turning motion comes from your shoulder, so keep your focus there!)
– Check the position of your arm bone with every rotation. The challenge is to keep it back and down without straining or compressing. The sensation at the shoulder is like a relaxed drop rather than an active downward press)
– Repeat with right arm
Option with a swivel disc
If you have a swivel disc, place it between your forearm and the wall and continue the turning motion. The disc (like the ledge) is a bonus. It helps you increase range of motion.
Reps
Do 10-12 cycles (1/4 turn forward and ¼ turn backward) with each arm.
Lay your arms at your sides after the fact. If they feel closer to your torso and relaxed, your rotator cuff muscles are doing their job!
Mondays with Margot from Body Harmonics Pilates in Toronto.
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