BUILDING THE PERFECT SHOULDER FOR THE WILDERNESS ATHLETE PART 3

We have come to our last video of the shoulder mobility series. Today, we are looking at a real life application which every outdoorsman/woman performs at some time that we all for granted until we have a shoulder issue of some kind. We are talking about putting on and taking off a weighted pack.

We use weighted packs often and are constantly putting them on and taking them off. We are consistently putting our shoulders in awkward positions and if you have poor scapular mobility you will have a higher chance of injury because you are forcing your shoulder joint into more extreme positions.

Proper stretching will allow you a full range of motion and it will help realign your body for optimal movement.

CHILD’S POSE

We will be performing a version of the Child’s Pose. This is one of the most recognized and commonly practiced yoga poses. It is used as a resting pose between other poses and improving scapular mobility is just one benefits of this movement. It also helps to stretch the hips, thighs, and ankles while reducing stress and fatigue. It gently relaxes the muscles on the front of the body while softly and passively stretching the muscles of the back and torso.

Setup / Cues

Widen your knees toward the outside of the mat, then move your buttocks back toward your heels as you stretch your arms forward and toward the floor. Keep your shoulders pulled down and back, away from your ears. Don’t force your buttocks any closer to your heels than is comfortable. Hold the position for 5 to 10 deep, slow breaths.

This stretch is a great warm up for the entire body before your weight lifting session. Only go so deep enough to feel a solid stretch. Discomfort is expected, but you should not feel pain, sharp or otherwise.

Modifications

If this stretch becomes too intense for your lower body, change your seated position. Come up and instead stack the hips over your knees and do the same stretch in what is called Puppy Pose.

IMPORTANCE

I know that for many of our previous Wild Skills we have emphasized exercises helping to improve the strength of certain muscles, but after lifting weights for so long, I myself reached a plateau in my strength. I had also initially rejected the idea of ever going to a yoga studio. Not only was it expensive, but the initial class had me writhing in pain while everyone looked so peaceful.  Though over the last couple of months  I have started to incorporate a daily mobility/stretching period into my routine and have definitely started to see some huge benefits. It is called a ROMWOD. It stands for Range Of Motion Workout Of the Day. They are daily exercises designed to increase your range of motion, optimize athletic performance, and promote recovery, healing, and longevity. I use ROMWOD.com for their daily videos and I pay for the monthly subscription.

If you have any questions or if you would like to recommend another topic for us please just shoot them over to contactus@wildernessathlete.com.