Improve your posture: shoulder stabilization exercise

This weeks flexibility exercise is to help improve posture. We are strengthening the serratus anterior and improving shoulder and scapula stabilization. The serratus anterior is an important muscle for stabilizing the scapula, as well as during protraction and upward rotation. It also plays an important part in breathing as it helps lift the ribcage to initiate the breath. This stretching exercise can be done in a full plank position, with the knees off the ground, or in a modified plank, with the knees in contact with the ground. Remember to contract the abdominals and glutes throughout the exercise to protect the spine.

Read the transcript: 

Hi guys welcome to Sarah’s sixty second stretch. 

We're doing a plank today with a shoulder blade isolation. 

We're going to get into a traditional plank position.

We're opening up the fingers,  extending the legs out and coming onto the balls of the feet. 

Place the shoulders over the palms and we've got those abdominals engaged. 

You do have the option to relax the knees down to the floor (in a modified plank position). 

We are now going to isolate the shoulder blades squeezing them shoulder towards each other. 

And then separating them.  Keeping the arms as

straight as possible, and separating them (sic: the shoulder blades). 

Inhale to bring the shoulder blades towards each other and then exhale to separate them. 

Let's do one more time. 

And now we're going to bend the knees, walk the feet forward, round the back and roll it up. 

Shake it out!

Thanks for tuning in see you next time.