Scapular Retraction and Why It’s Important
I went for an awesome bike ride the other day, but I forgot to wear sunscreen, which you may notice my red arms in the photos :)
To engage our postural muscles when we row and/or perform an arm extension on the Pilates equipment or when weight training, it's more effective to begin the movement by retracting the scapula (aka shoulder blade) when pulling against the load.
Often I see shoulders rolling forward during rows and arm extensions, and while it’s unlikely to cause injury, it’s not maximizing the full potential of the exercise. By focusing on rolling the shoulder back as you begin to pull back, the shoulder blade will automatically slide towards the spine, which is called scapular retraction.
Sometimes it's difficult to retract the shoulder blades while rowing, which is totally normal. We need to slowly strengthen the muscles first by reducing the load and consistently performing the movement correctly. In a couple weeks of repeated effort at a lighter load, you will have gained enough strength in your upper back to increase the resistance.
When the blades move toward the spine you activate important postural muscles (middle trap, rhomboid, posterior deltoid). Strengthening your postural muscles ensures that your bones are well aligned with the rest of the body, while the tension in your muscles and ligaments is properly distributed.
Balanced muscle strength of the shoulder girdle contributes to optimal scapulohumeral rhythm (also called glenohumeral). This means your arm bone and your shoulder blade move in a way that provides function and support when your arm moves out to the side. Sub-optimal scapulohumeral rhythm could lead to labral tears, shoulder impingements, and rotator cuff injuries.
So let’s work on developing those sexy upper back muscles that contribute to better posture and injury prevention!
Resources:
https://www.performancehealthacademy.com/shoulder-exercises-improve-scapular-function.html
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Scapulohumeral_Rhythm
