![]() If your shoulders are too tight, you can hold a yoga strap, belt, or towel between your hands to help you make the same motion. That can cause your upper back muscles to overwork as they try to pull your shoulders back into place.) To do this, you can take a simple bind by interlacing your fingers together behind your low back, pulling your shoulders back and down. (Remember, we want to open the chest so it’s not pulling your shoulders too far forward. Once your neck is feeling warm, begin to open your chest muscles. ![]() In turn, that will start to loosen any upper back muscles that have adhesions and are tugging on your neck muscles (and vice versa). Flow through this motion several times, helping your neck begin to loosen up. Pause, then roll your chin back toward your chest. Hold for a moment, then slowly roll your left ear toward your left shoulder. Then, gently let your chin fall to your chest as you roll your head down. Let your right ear fall toward your right shoulder and pause for a moment. Once your shoulders, upper back, and chest are starting to feel warm, start to gently stretch through the neck. Be sure to bring your shoulders through their full range of motion so you’re warming up all of the muscles attached to them. Take a minute or so to roll your shoulders forward, then take another minute to roll them backward. So in this sequence, I recommend warming up your upper back and shoulders with some shoulder rolls. I always like to start a yoga session by warming up the body, with particular emphasis on the part of the body that I’m going to be stretching. Prefer to follow a video? Scroll down to find my 15-minute video leading you through this gentle yoga sequence! Gentle Yoga Sequence for Upper Back and Shoulders They will be able to guide you through any modifications you should take so you don’t re-injure yourself. If you have a shoulder or upper back injury, please DO NOT try these poses without checking with your doctor, physical therapist, and/or local yoga teacher. Always practice yoga mindfully and if you have any questions, consult with your teacher. So, make sure you’re taking care of your upper body in your yoga practice!)ĭISCLAIMER: I am a yoga teacher, but I’m not your yoga teacher. That can lead to inefficient running form at best, and injuries at worst. (Runners, this is also really important for you! If you hunch your shoulders over as you run, it’s going to throw off your entire posture as you run. So, if you want a happy upper back and shoulders, make sure to practice heart-opening yoga poses, which will help stretch and open the chest muscles. ![]() Often our upper back muscles have to work overtime to overcome tight pectorals, which mean they have a greater chance of becoming overworked or spasm-ing, or having several other problems pop up. So, when you focus on loosening and opening your tight chest muscles, you can actually alleviate certain upper back problems.
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