The Y Balance Test can be used to assess your dynamic balance and leg strength symmetry, as well as determine your risk of lower extremity injury with athletic activities.
Tomorrow’s “Move Better” post will include content on ways to improve your dynamic balance and single leg strength.
Until then!
Yesterday’s “Move Better” post presented the Overhead Squat Test as a way to test your overhead squatting form and self-assess the mobility of the joints involved in this movement. Today’s post will discuss ways to improve your mobility in the different areas of the body involved in squatting and overhead squatting. Specifically, we will discuss mobility exercises for the ankles, hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders.
Ankle Dorsiflexion Mobility
Dorsiflexion is a motion that occurs at the ankle and involves the movement of the top part of the foot toward the tibia (shin) bone and is an important movement when performing a deep squat. During a squat, ankle dorsiflexion limitations may present in several ways. Common signs of poor ankle dorsiflexion that may occur during a squat include excessive turnout of the feet, the knees moving too far inward (knee valgus), or losing contact with your heels on the ground.
To learn how to improve your ankle dorsiflexion mobility, CLICK HERE.
Hip Flexion Mobility
A deep squat requires adequate hip flexion mobility, which occurs when the femur (thigh bone) flexes upward toward your trunk. Impairments in hip flexion mobility for squatting may present as difficulty getting the femurs below horizontal during the squat. Hip flexion mobility may be limited by tightness in musculature around the hip joint or restrictions in the hip joint itself.
If a lack of hip flexion mobility is preventing you from getting into a deep squat the exercises in the video below may be helpful to improve your squat form:
Thoracic Extension and Shoulder Mobility
Thoracic extension mobility is important to allow full overhead shoulder range of motion during an overhead squat. Sufficient muscle length in the latissimus dorsi and pec muscle groups are also important for optimal overhead squatting form. Signs of poor thoracic and shoulder mobility during an overhead squat include excessive extension (backward bending) of the lumbar spine and an inability to maintain the bar/dowel above your head and over your feet.
To learn how to improve your thoracic extension mobility, CLICK HERE.
To improve the flexibility of your latissimus dorsi and pec muscle groups, try the exercises in the video below:
Questions? Contact sean@salmonbaypt.com
Stay tuned for more “Move Better” content!
Squatting is one the most fundamental movements for both daily and athletic activities. Try the Overhead Squat Test for a simple way to assess the mobility of your upper and lower extremities and spine:
Check back tomorrow for a follow-up “Move Better” post containing content on ways to improve your mobility for squatting and overhead squatting activities.
Yesterday’s “Move Better” series post presented the Tragus -To-Wall Test to assess your neck and thoracic spine mobility. This blog post will present exercises to improve thoracic mobility - more specifically the motion of thoracic extension.
The thoracic spine is the mid-region of the spine that consists of twelve thoracic vertebrae (T1-T12) that are attached to the ribs posteriorly. The orientations of the joints in the thoracic spine allow for motion in several planes, including flexion, extension, and sidebending.
Sufficient thoracic extension is important to allow full scapular and shoulder range of motion with overhead activities during daily and sport activities. A lack of thoracic extension mobility may impact someone’s strength with overhead activities and may increase someone’s risk of neck, shoulder, and low back pain. Thoracic extension may be limited in people who spend a lot of time in positions of slouched or forward flexed postures, including office workers and landscapers.
The video below includes exercises to improve thoracic extension mobility passively with the use of a chair, foam roller, or other substitute, like a rolled up yoga mat or large towel.
Other common exercises that may improve thoracic extension mobility include stretching for the pec and lat muscles, which will be included in another upcoming “Move Better” post. A future “Move Better” post will also cover ways to assess and improve thoracic rotation, another important motion that occurs in the thoracic spine.
Stay tuned!
Welcome to the fourth edition of our “Move Better” series, which will feature the Tragus-To-Wall Test.
People who spend a large part of their day sitting with slouched posture may have restricted thoracic spine mobility. Try the Tragus-To-Wall Test to assess your neck and thoracic spine mobility:
Tomorrow’s “Move Better” series content will focus on exercises to improve your thoracic mobility to help with posture and overhead activities.