The 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗦 Back/Lat stretch

The 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗦 Back / Lat stretch.

A great feeling after a long workout, stretching a muscle that blankets the back muscles.

Do tight shoulders limit your arm movement? 
When you reach your arms high overhead, do your lower ribs stick out in front? 
Do you feel a pinching sensation on top of your shoulders when you lift your hands above your head? 

If you answered yes to any of those questions - the problem may be tight Latissimus Dorsi muscles. These muscles connect your upper arms to your lower back. When you raise your arms overhead, the "lats" stretch; so tight lats make it difficult to reach up. Stretching them is not hard, but the best way to do it effectively is not always obvious. 

Learning how to loosen your lats is worthwhile, because it will improve your range of motion in every yoga pose that requires you to lift one or both arms above your head. What's more, looser lats can make it easier to do everyday activities such as changing a light bulb or getting things off a high shelf, and can even help protect you from Rotator cuff injuries. 

To find out how tight or loose your Latissimus Dorsi muscles are, try this stretch pictured (if you have a shoulder injury, do not do the exercises in this article unless you are under qualified supervision). 

This will probably create the sensation of stretching on the outer sides of your armpits. The stronger the stretch and the greater the restriction of movement, the tighter your lats are (although other tight muscles may increase the limitation).

 Try it out 🙂