Installment 4 of our MOVE WELL TO MOVE OFTEN education series: band pull aparts.
This is a WHITE corrective exercise for shoulder mobility. Using a resistance band, hold the band about shoulder width apart. To start the movement, set your shoulders and tighten the latissimus dorsi (muscle along ribs and just behind the armpit). When moving, think about squeezing your shoulder blades together rather than pulling your arms apart. Keep a slight bend in the elbows and track the hands on the same plane as the chest.
This corrective exercise can be done kneeling for additional core stability or standing. To progress this corrective, slow down the tempo and hold for 2 seconds. Be sure to slowly return to the starting position for an additional eccentric focus.
Shoulder stability is key for all overhead movement. Shoulder mobility is key for push/press movements.
