Tutorial: Push-up Plus
WHAT
The push-up plus will improve shoulder mobility and stability, leading to an injury free and increased exercise performance.
- The push-up plus is a shoulder mobility exercise that can be used as part of a warm up or cool down.
- It requires no equipment – just your bodyweight. Meaning you can perform it anywhere.
- Because it requires that you stay in a push-up position, it will also demand more of the core muscles and wrists.
HOW
- Assume a push-up position with hands shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping the arms straight (locked at the elbows) push the hands into the floor and pull the chest upwards. You should feel the shoulder blades moving apart and the upper back rounding a little. The lower back and hips should remain relatively still during the movement. Aim to move slowly and deliberately.
- From this position, slowly allow the chest to drop and the shoulder blades to move closer together. You should feel the shoulder blades pinching slightly at the end of the movement.
- Repeat continuously for reps or time.
WHY
- Prolonged sitting and poor movement patterns can often contribute to restrictions in the upper back and shoulder girdle. As a result, the shoulder blades lose their ability to glide across the upper back/ribs, causing compensatory movement and pain in the shoulder joint, neck, arm and low back. A healthy shoulder girdle can glide smoothly, and along with an open shoulder joint, provides a full range of pain-free motion to the arm and upper back.
- As part of a corrective exercise plan, the push-up plus can restore much-needed mobility to the shoulder girdle and help to improve posture and pain-free movement to the neck, upper back, shoulder and arm.
- It’s worth noting that the push-up position also requires shoulder and wrist joint stability, which provides an anchor point for the shoulder blades. This wrist/shoulder stability increases when you keep the arms locked throughout the movement – allowing for full range of motion in the shoulder blades.
