Are there any good shoulder flexibility stretches you would recommend? I know I need to work on my shoulder flexibility but I'm having a hard time finding stretches that give me a good result even over long periods.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You can stretch your shoulders using stacked mats/a couch/chair/etc. My CP uses the edge of the raised tumble track. Kneel down in front of the mats (when CP was a gymnast, they had her do this stretch standing while placing her hands on the vault table). Make sure you are far enough away so that when you stretch forward just your hands touch the mats. Then, with your hands resting on the mats and eyes/head facing the ground, slowly push your armpits and chest down towards the floor. The closer you move your hands together, the more difficult the stretch. You can also have someone press down in between your shoulders as you stretch down.
You can also do this stretch up against a wall once you become more flexible. When doing this stretch against a wall, you will use the same body position, except you will have your hands and elbows resting on the wall (if that makes sense). Doing this stretch up against the wall is similar to how you would hold your scorpion. But don't immediately go for the wall stretch. Practice the first one and once your flexibility has improved, try the stretch against the wall.
You can also use a rubber resistance band to work on your range of motion. Lay on your stomach and, with your arms straight above your head, hold the band in each hand a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your arms straight, lift the band over your head back toward your bottom. If you can bring the band all the way back to your bottom, awesome! Repeat this motion! If you can't, then do 10 lifts with your arms above your head and then move your arms down to your sides. Lay the resistance band across your back, grasp with both hands, and (keeping your arms straight), raise the band toward your head.
You can also do this standing for the full range of motion. Begin with the band in both hands with arms at your sides. Then, with straight arms, lift the band out in front of you, bring it up over your head, and then down in back toward your bottom. Repeat this motion going the other direction.
This exercise was hard to explain in writing, but I think is commonly used by gymnasts to improve flexibility. I bet you could find a YouTube video that shows exactly what I am trying to describe to you. Good luck!
This. It does sound like a shoulder flexibility issue. Have your CP do lots of shoulder stretches throughout the week. My CP had this problem, as well. I thought she was having a problem with coordinating her hand to grab her shoe. But after working on her shoulder flexibility and strength for a couple of weeks, she was able to get it.
