Life Hack: Wall Angels

So, while your boss is away, and the office is emptying out earlier and earlier as we reach the apex of summer time in Boston, you’re still grinding away making the most of this opportunity to get ahead. But wait, what is that pain you’re starting to feel between your shoulder blades? It seems to be creeping up earlier in the work day than ever before. Well, fear not my friend. We have a corrective exercise that will get rid of that in just a few short minutes. Most of the issues (aches and pains) we feel during the work day are a result of the potent cocktail of a lack of varied movement and work induced stressed. These are both very real and can result in discomfort. There are several tips we can offer to assist, but the gold nugget is the “Wall Angel”. Below we demonstrate the steps to accurately perform this corrective exercise. We even offer up a simplified version if your ROM (range of motion) is too limited. You can always graduate to the next level once you have performed these.

Step 1: Stand with your feet close together about 1-2 feet from a wall. Place your low back flush against the wall, following the points of contact illustrated in the first picture.

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Step 2: Take a deep breath. As you slowly exhale to a count of 5,4,3,2,1, maintain all your contact points as your arms make a semicircular movement up the wall. (DO NOT GO PAST THE POINT OF LOSING ANY OF YOUR CONTACT POINTS)

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Step 3: Once you have reached the highest point without loss of your contact points, pause and take another deep breath and feel the muscles working.

Step 4: Slowly exhale for a count of 5,4,3,2,1, bringing your arms back to the start. Try to envision the muscles you are engaging when you are bringing the arms down. You should try and “place your shoulder blades into your back pocket”. This is essential in activating the specific muscles (middle and lower traps) that are inhibited and causing you discomfort.

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Repeat this exercise 10 times at least once every 60-90 minutes. By doing this, you will slowly train your muscles to be more engaged and assistive as you slave away during the summer hours.