Ok, so the weather is doing its crazy ass ‘pretending like it’s going to start warming up and then plummeting back down’ thing. Not really a surprise living in the UK, but it can cause quite a shock to the body physically.
When we are out in the cold we tend to tense up, hunching our shoulders and bowing our heads to the ground as we try to protect ourselves from the icy blasts. This can further exacerbate problems that may be starting to surface as a result of being sat at your desk hunched over a computer, or craning your neck forward to look at your phone on your commute.
So, with the temperature on the rise, let’s take this opportunity to shake off the cold snap and do some exercises to help release any tension we may have built up in the shoulders over the winter months. (Excuse the 'oh so serious' pics!!)
1. Gotta get up to get down
Raise the shoulders up to the ears as you inhale deeply. As you exhale, relax the shoulders down releasing the tension.
Why? – sometimes we are holding tension without even realising it. By tensing up the shoulders and then relaxing and dropping them back down, we are actively bringing focus to releasing the tension that we may be holding.
2. Resist the neck stretch
As you inhale reach the right arm to the sky. Exhale as you bend at the elbow and take the hand onto the left ear across the top of the head. Take a deep inhale to lengthen the spine and grow tall through the crown of the head and as you exhale gentle draw the head over to the right. Don’t pull the head down, just allow the weight of the arm to apply a light pressure. Make sure the left shoulder stays dropped to feel a nice stretch down the neck.
Why? – By adding a little weight to the stretch your body will naturally offer a bit of resistance to the stretch. Light tension on the muscles while it is elongated help increases flexibility and lengthen the muscle while keeping it strong and supported.
3. Strap it back
Hold your hands quite wide apart on the strap, hold it out infant of you and pull the hands apart to pull the strap taut and activate the shoulders. Reach the arms up, over and behind you in a semi-circle keeping the hands in a straight line. You may need to adjust your hands on the strap to find a way to move comfortably and can move your hands slightly closer as the shoulders start to ease out as you do more reps.
Why? – This helps to open the shoulders, stretch through the front of the chest and break up any tension across the top of the shoulders to help counter the hunching over of the shoulders and tension that builds up when it’s cold.
4. It’s puppy time
Start on all fours with hands below shoulders, hips over knees. Keep the hips stacked above the knees as you gently walk the hands away from the body and lower the chest towards the mat. Gently bringing either the forehead or the chin to the mat for a deep stretch across the chest and shoulders keeping the arms shoulder width apart.
Why? - One of my favorites, especially at the end of a long day sat in front of a computer, Puppy pose lengthens the spine, stretches the arms and shoulders and helps stretch and open across the chest.
5. Rein it in
Once the shoulders are warmed up, take the strap in your right hand and reach the hand to the sky. Bend the arm at the elbow and allow the strap and hand to drop down the back between the shoulders. Reach the left arm back behind you and up the back to grab the strap from below. Sit tall, keep your head up and gentle work your hands along the strap towards each other. If your hands reach you can try the stretch without the strap clasping the hands together. Repeat on the other side.
Why? – This is a deep and intense stretch that reaches the tricep, chest, shoulder, armpit and latissimus dorsi muscle which helps support several different movements of the shoulder.
There are plenty if other awesome chest stretchers and shoulder openers to help relieve the tension so if you feel like you have a tight chest and shoulders you can start with the above and then maybe find some more you can add to create a regular routine. Remember, that with chest tightness you may not necessarily feel it in the chest but it could present as muscle ache in the upper back and shoulders. This is due to the shoulder and back muscles over working as they try to pull the shoulders back into their natural position when they are being pulled forward by the tight chest muscles.
Peace and Love people and here’s to finally welcoming spring (Fingers crossed!!) x