The next time your client hits a performance plateau, encourage them to breathe more, not work more. Muscles need oxygen to repair and strengthen. Restrictions in the shoulder girdle, be they from injury, poor posture or generalized tension can impair breath capacity by restricting movement of the scapulae and ultimately the respiratory diaphragm. When we see people breathing clavicularly we know their bodies are trying to “dis-arm” themselves to get the weight of the shoulders and arms off the lungs. Their own bodies know if they can breathe deeper, they can work harder.

To dis-arm your client, try the YTU Therapy Ball Rotator Cuff sequence and some PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) work for the neck to help them literally ‘lighten up.’ They’ll be holding those planks for a long time in no time. Here’s a clip of some simple upper trapezius work from the 5 Minute Quick Fix for the Neck video to help relieve abused upper back and neck muscles from all that tension.

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