This exercise is another 'Harder than it looks" one.

This is a rotator cuff exercise. The rotator cuff are 4 muscles that hold the shoulder blade to the back of the rib cage and allow the upper arm bone (humerus) to guide in the socket. These muscles are often weakened in our forward head posture because the shoulder blades round forward and therefor these muscles "peel up" creating space between the shoulder blade and the ribcage. We want to find them and activate them again, pulling the shoulder blade back where it belongs, flat on the back of the ribs.

So if we are working the back of the body that is weak, we will likely feel it in the front of the body where it is tight.

The movement is the inward and outward (external) rotation of the arm.

DIRECTIONS:

1. We use the wall to help align the torso because the movement we are seeking is only in the upper arm bone.

2. Remember to keep the shoulders soft and just visualize the idea of your biceps turning inward and outward.

   • Notice how that movement affects your shoulder blades.

REPS:

• Work up to 8-10 of these, but allow a hold in that externally rotated or arm open position. We need that stretch in the front and strengthening in the back.

• Holding it allows the muscles time to adapt.