The human body is designed for movement. We walk, run and bend from head to toe every single day. But many people don’t get enough movement into their day, which can lead to a variety of muscle and joint issues. Most notably, this can cause problems in your back. The back is made up of several different muscle groups that work together to support your spine, shoulders and neck. When they become weak or overworked, you can experience back pain as the muscles try to compensate for the imbalances in your body. Luckily, there are plenty of great exercises you can do at home to strengthen your back and prevent future aches and pains from arising. Read on to learn more about how you can protect your shoulder blades and upper back with some simple strengthening moves…
What is the back made of?
Your spine is made up of several different vertebrae and ligaments that create a series of protection and support structures for your back. These include your two shoulder blades, your thoracic and lumbar spines and your upper and lower back muscles. Your shoulder blades are connected to your spine at the clavicle (the collarbone). Each shoulder blade is comprised of two individual muscles: the deltoid and the teres major. If either of these muscle groups become too weak, the other can compensate to try and protect your spine. If both shoulder blade muscles are weak, then the protection for your spine is reduced, leaving you more susceptible to injury.
Shoulder Blade Strength
There are a number of ways you can improve your shoulder blade strength to protect your back and neck. The first, and arguably one of the easiest, is simply to get your shoulders tired with each movement you make. If you’re washing the dishes, chase them with at least another 2-3 movements to achieve a full shoulder and upper back workout. When you’re washing the dishes, add an overhead motion every so often, such as pouring the water into the sink with one arm while the other is holding the bowl above your head. You can also incorporate a twisting motion, such as twisting your wrist as the water is running into the sink.
Upper Back Strength
While your shoulder blades protect your spine and neck, your upper back muscles should be your primary focus when strengthening your back. These include the rhomboids and scapulae which are located at the base of your neck. When weak, these muscles can cause pain in your neck and upper back, potentially leading to even more serious conditions such as cervical spondylosis. To protect your upper back and neck muscles, you need to work them in several different ways. The most important is to incorporate a dynamic movement into your upper back exercises. If you do all upper back exercises in a static manner, your muscles will have very little time to react to the movement. Also, when you’re doing upper back exercises, make sure that you’re keeping your head, shoulders and spine remaining in a neutral position as much as possible. This will help protect your neck and upper back muscles from injury.
Conclusion
Your back is a highly important part of your body. It has a lot of responsibilities, such as keeping your spine and shoulder blades protected while allowing you to move freely. If you don’t do any back exercises, it will become weak, and will then cause pain. In this article, we discussed what the best back exercises are, how you can protect your shoulder blades and upper back, as well as how you can strengthen your back. If you have back pain, don’t ignore it. Back pain can be a warning sign of serious issues that can be prevented with some minor adjustments. Make sure to follow these exercises to protect your back.
