Seated Shoulder Flexor Depresor Retractor Stretch

Description

How to Do Seated Shoulder Flexor Depresor Retractor Stretch

1. 1
   Setup

   Sit tall on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat, about hip-width apart. Place your hands behind you on the floor, fingers pointing away from your body, palms flat.

2. 2
   Setup

   Adjust your hands to be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, ensuring your arms are mostly straight but not locked at the elbows.

3. 3

   Gently lean back onto your hands, actively depressing your shoulders down and back, away from your ears, while keeping your chest open.

4. 4

   Slowly slide your hips forward, away from your hands, until you feel a gentle stretch across the front of your shoulders and chest.

5. 5

   Hold this position, breathing deeply and maintaining a neutral spine without allowing your lower back to arch excessively or your upper back to round.

Tips

• Actively depress your shoulders throughout the stretch, pulling them down and back, to maximize the stretch in the targeted shoulder muscles and avoid shrugging.
• Control the intensity by adjusting how far you slide your hips forward; the stretch should feel gentle and comfortable, never painful.
• Maintain a long, neutral spine and avoid overarching your lower back by gently engaging your abdominal muscles.
• Breathe deeply and slowly into the stretch, using each exhale to relax further and allow your muscles to lengthen.

Common Mistakes

• ×Rounding the upper back reduces the effectiveness of the stretch; instead, maintain a proud chest and a neutral spine by drawing your shoulder blades together slightly.
• ×Shrugging your shoulders towards your ears can cause neck tension; actively push your shoulders down and away from your ears to properly target the shoulder flexors and depressors.
• ×Pushing into pain indicates overstretching; always listen to your body and only go to the point of a gentle, comfortable stretch to prevent injury.