ACE PERSONAL TRAINER MANUAL | FUNCTIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR STABILITY-MOBILITY AND MOVEMENT CHAPTER 9 Figure 9-31 Posterior mobilization: Rocking quadrupeds
Objective: To promote hip and thoracic mobility while simultaneously maintaining lumbar stability
Preparation and position: • Assume the quadruped position adjacent to a mirror, placing both hands directly under the shoulders (shoulder-width apart) and knees directly under the hips (hip-width apart) (a).
• Engage the core muscles to create a neutral spine. Maintain this flat or neutral spine throughout the exercise.
Exercise:
• While focusing on the spine, slowly rock backward and forward using visual feedback to control the range of movement, as dictated by a changing position of the spine (rounding during the backward roll and arching into lordosis during the forward rock) (b & c).
• Perform one or two sets of five to 10 controlled repetitions, holding the end range of motion for one or two seconds, with 30-second rest intervals between sets.
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a.
b.
c.
PROXIMAL STABILITY OF THE SCAPULOTHORACIC REGION AND PROXIMAL MOBILITY OF THE GLENOHUMERAL JOINT
This stage is designed to improve stability within the scapulothoracic region during upper-extremity movements (e.g., push- and pull-type motions). The glenohumeral joint is a highly mobile joint and its ability to achieve this degree of movement is contingent upon the stability of the scapulothoracic region (i.e., the ability of the scapulae to maintain appropriate proximity against the rib cage during movement) (Houglum, 2010; Sahrmann, 2002). It is the synergistic actions of muscle groups working through force-couples in this region that help achieve this stability, considering that the scapulae only attach to the axial skeleton via the clavicles. Promoting stability within this joint, therefore, requires muscle balance within the force-couples of the joint. Additionally, as many of these muscles also cross the glenohumeral joint, they require substantial levels of mobility. This implies that a program promoting scapulothoracic stability may need to include stretches to promote extensibility of both the muscle and joint structures. Therefore, static stretches to improve tissue extensibility should precede dynamic movement patterns and strengthening exercises. A normally positioned scapula promotes muscle balance and effective force-coupling relationships. However, given the design of the shoulder girdle (favoring mobility at a cost of stability) and the propensity toward bad posture in the upper extremity due to a myriad of lifestyle-related positions and activities, compensated movement and shoulder injuries occur very frequently. Perhaps the most problematic movements are associated with arm abduction and a lack of scapular stability during horizontal push-and-pull movements.
