If you’re suffering from tight lats and shoulders, 1 minute in Puppy pose is your best bet. Puppy puts your shoulders in flexion and your spine in extension to stretch the chest, shoulders, lats and spine. It’s technically a Backbend but the position of your head below your heart triggers the parasympathetic nervous system similar to a Forward Bend like Child or Ragdoll.
TIPS
- Walk your fingertips forward and draw your hips back to get a nice, deep stretch in the lats and shoulders. You can then make gentle movements from side to side to deepen the release.
- Bring your elbows down onto two blocks and bring your hands together behind your head in Prayer to increase the intensity of the stretch.
- Thread your right arm under the left (followed by the left arm under the right) to come into Twisted Puppy and stretch the lats from a slightly different angle.
DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS FROM TIGHT LATS AND SHOULDERS
- Shoulder pain.
- Rotator cuff injury.
- Reduced shoulder mobility.
- Lower back pain.
TIMING
- Post-Workout
- Evening
WHEN YOU FIND 15 MINUTES
Which other poses do you find most effective for stretching out tight lats and shoulders?
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