The shoulder bone's connected to...

One of the things I love about Pilates is that it helps us understand that our bodies work as a whole.  A problem that manifests in one place may have its origins somewhere else entirely.  And, addressing a problem anywhere in the body will help the whole body work better.

 

For example, the most common shoulder problem is impingement.  It tends to manifest as pain in the front of the shoulder because the humerus rises up too high and squishes stuff into the acromion process at the top of the shoulder blade.  (“Squishes” is a technical term, obviously.)  Resolving the problem, however, involves working with the muscles in the back of the body, specifically the rhomboids, the lats, the serratus anterior, and the lower traps.

 

As we work on the impingement, we are likely to find that posture improves, which can impact everything from lower body alignment to breathing.  Cool, right?

Winging it

I go to continuing education so you all don’t need to.  My most recent classes were about shoulders.  I learned a lot, which will obviously percolate into my training and my blog over the next while, but today I want to demystify a term that I’ve heard a lot in gyms and studios:  “winging” shoulder blades.

 

We all know that’s not ideal, but we don’t really know what it means or what to do about it.

 

Let’s start with a little bit of anatomy.  The shoulder blade is the site of a ton of muscle attachments.  It has true joints with the upper arm (the humerus), and with the collar bone (the clavicle).  While it lies on top of the rib cage, there is no true articulation between the ribs and the shoulder blade.  This is the key fact that relates to shoulder blade winging.

 

If everything is working like it should, the shoulder blade will slide freely along the ribcage, toward or away from the spine or toward or away from the head.  Sometimes it gets stuck or it pops away from the rib cage:  this is winging.

 

To prevent shoulder blade winging, we need to make sure that the rotator cuff muscles are strong, as well as the pectorals, the traps, and the rhomboids.  Also, we need to wake up one of my favorite muscles, the serratus anterior.  Additionally, (and this is the fun part), we need to make sure that none of those muscles are holding on too tightly—that means massage or chiro, depending on what’s going on.

 

Working with a trainer can help resolve any winging issues.  At the very least, having a workout buddy who can see what’s happening with our back when we are doing pushups (for example) can help a lot.

 

Go play.

 

Monday Workout: Lots of ways to find challenge

We are continuing to work with slow repetitions to increase our time under tension.  This, along with our lateral movements and our asymmetric movements, makes our workouts more challenging.  Three rounds.

 

squat to leg lift	30
slow flies	20
kb ball up overhead press	10
(lunge) punches	30
bench press	20
lateral raise	10
overhead high knees	30
kickbacks	20
brains	10

 

I love avocado toast

So I’m not going to go all “Stop spending on avocado toast and you can afford a house” on anyone.  I am going to suggest a couple of ways to save money and promote health at the same time.  Here are four:

 

1.     Don’t meet for coffee.  Meet your friends for a walk or jog or bike ride.  It’s cheaper and better for us.

2.     Eat your veggies.  In season produce is cheaper than meat and we all need the vitamins and minerals in those fruits and veggies.

3.     Drink water.  From the tap.  This might mean we have to plan ahead and bring water with us when we exercise or go places, but it’s cheaper and better for the environment.  Even if we get all fancy and add a slice of lemon it’s still cheaper.

4.     Skip the car trip.  Try walking or biking or public transit to get where we’re going.  Again, cheaper and better for the environment and better for our bodies to get a little bonus movement.

 

Go play.

When we do have to spend

Yesterday I posted about how working out doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.  There are, however, some things where it is probably a good idea not to choose the cheapest or the free option.

 

First, anything that keeps us safe is worth spending the money on.  Buy the helmet.  Get the knee pads.  Wear the supportive shoes.  All of those things are much cheaper than visits to the emergency room.

 

Many gyms offer a free fitness evaluation and/or orientation session.  (I, too, offer assessment and the first workout free.)  It is a great idea for anyone new to exercise or anyone just getting back into the exercise habit.  However, none of us is going to learn everything we need to know to work out by ourselves in a single session.  Paying for a few personal training appointments can be a good investment because we learn a lot about form, about different workout approaches, and about what reasonable goals are for us.

 

After we’ve been working out a while, we can make better decisions about what equipment we might actually like to have.  I rode my inexpensive mountain bike around town for a long time, but as I got into better shape, I realized I wanted a real road bike to get to the next level.  Keeping an eye out at garage sales or searching the local Buy Nothing groups or shopping at used equipment stores can be a good way to get the stuff we want without spending way too much money.

 

One more pro tip:  spend money on stuff that can be used in lots of ways.  The infomercial gadget of the week may look spiffy, but a set of dumbbells is way more flexible and useful.

 

Go play.

Don't worry about the money

Last week, I discussed time as an obstacle for workouts.  Another of the most commonly cited reasons not to work out is money.  Here’s the thing:  while there are certainly lots of expensive ways to work out, there are also a lot of ways that are free or low-cost.

 

Cardio might be the easiest part of workouts to get for cheap.  We all own shoes anyway, so it doesn’t cost extra to put them on and go for a brisk walk or a jog or a run.  It might be nice to do our cardio in an air-conditioned gym, but it isn’t a requirement.  Outside workouts also have the bonus of fresh air, sunlight, and some contact with nature.

 

When it comes to resistance training, our bodies are pretty much all the gym we need.  My favorite exercise, the squat, works really well with just body weight.  (If you are looking for a body weight circuit, check back through my Monday workout posts; there are a bunch to choose from!).

 

Similarly, stretching and balance work don’t require any additional spending.   Sure, we can buy fancy straps if we want to, but we probably already own a belt that would work and I know we all have towels.  When we work on balance, it’s nice to have a sturdy chair nearby or a countertop, but again, we already have those.

 

The internet offers gazillions of workouts that we can use.  So does the library.  As I mentioned above, I post a workout right here every Monday for anyone who likes to use it.

 

We can do this.

Monday Workout: Change to Challenge

This week we’re adding a little more challenge to some exercises.  Our usual step-ups get some added weight from dumbbells.  Our single leg deadlift becomes harder when we have to balance and row at the same time.  Slowing down our pushups makes them a lot more difficult.  Of course, if these changes are not appropriate for your body, skip them!  Three rounds.

 

step up with dbs	30
1 leg deadlift row	20
slow pushups	10
woodchoppers	30
side lunges	20
Arnold press	10
plank jacks	30
renegade rows	20
star plank	10