24 Best Exercises for Scapula Protraction and Retraction

Introduction:

Scapula protraction and retraction exercises are essential for maintaining proper shoulder alignment and promoting healthy movement patterns. The scapula, or shoulder blade, plays a crucial role in stabilizing the shoulder joint and facilitating optimal upper-body function.

Scapular retraction involves pulling your shoulder blades in towards each other. scapular protraction involves movement of the opposite of scapulae away from the spine. These Exercises improve the mobility of your scapular as well as shoulder joints and strengthen the muscles that attach to your shoulder blades. Exercise can relieve shoulder pain and prevent further injury. strengthening exercises can help reduce muscle aches and keep your muscles long and flexible.

Benefits of exercise for scapula protraction and retraction

If you are doing regular exercises, then here are the benefits,

• Improves shoulder mobility
• Improve your overhead range of motion
• Exercise improves posture
• Increase shoulder strength
• Improves scapular movement
• Improve Flexibility
• Improves daily activity function
• Reduce pain
• Improve motion
• Helps to strengthen weak muscles
• Improve your balance

The best exercise for scapula protraction and retraction :

Following are the best exercises of scapula protraction and retraction,

Mini Wall Slide

• Start with relaxing standing facing a wall position on the floor.
• Now place a lightweight roller on the wall and hold it down with your hands.
• Put your forearms on the wall.
• Then slowly slide your forearms up the wall until your elbows are extended.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Stability Ball Push-Up

• Start with a relaxed push-up position on the ground.
• Place a stability ball under your chest side.
• Engage your core and glutes.
• Then slowly lower your body.
• Press down until your chest touches the ball.
• keep your elbow straight.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Push-up Plus

• Start with the push-up position with hands on the floor shoulder-width apart.
• Keep your elbows, knees, and body straight.
• Lower your body.
• So that your chest touches the floor.
• Hold this position for five seconds.
• Then return to the starting position.
• Once your arms are fully extended again continue pressing your palms into the ground.
• While pushing your shoulder blades toward the ceiling.
• keep the movement very slight.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Reach and Row

• Start with a relaxed standing position on the ground.
• Place a resistance band under your feet and grab the end in your one hand.
• Squeeze shoulder blades together.
• Then pull the handle towards your hip side.
• While keeping your shoulder blade down.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Face Pull

• Start with a relaxed standing on the ground.
• Now grab the rope handles with both hands.
• Keep your hand neutral position with palms facing in.
• Then take a back step until your arms are fully straight.
• Now squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Slowly pull the band toward your shoulders.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then slowly return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Reverse Lateral Dumbbell Raises

• Start with a relaxed lying down on a bench.
• Your knees are slightly bent.
• Then Hold a dumbbell in both hands.
• Rest your arms alongside your body.
• Now squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• lift up the dumbbell to shoulder height.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then slowly lower the dumbbells.
• Then return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Prone scapula Squeeze

• Start with lying down on your stomach on the bed.
• Then place a small rolled towel under your forehead.
• Keep your both arms down by your sides and palms facing in.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades.
• As you do this, you can feel the front of your shoulders lifting up off the bed.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Standing scapular protraction and retraction

• Start with a relaxed standing position on the ground.
• Keep your head and neck relaxed.
• Now squeeze your shoulder blades.
• Hold it for a few seconds.
• Then slowly return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Side-lying external rotation

• Start with a side-lying position on the bed with your head supported by a pillow.
• Then bend your elbow at 90 degrees with your palm facing toward your body.
• You can hold lightweight dumbbells for resistance.
• Raise your forearm to a comfortable position.
• Then squeeze your blades.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Slowly lower down your forearm.
• Then return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Scapular Squeeze With Arm Lift

• Start with lying down on your back.
• Keep your both arms by your side and palms facing inward.
• Then squeeze your shoulder blades.
• While lifting the arms and hand up.
• Hold the position for a few seconds.
• Then lower the hands and arms.
• Then return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Scapular Retractions “W” Position

• Start with lying face down on the bed.
• Your elbows bent and palms facing down.
• Draw the shoulder blades back and down.
• Lift the elbows up but keep your hands on the bed.
• Then raise your hands and your forearms are parallel with the bed.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then lower your body down.
• Then return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Scapular Retractions “Y” Position

• Start with a relaxing lying down prone position on the bed.
• Put your arms stretched out above your head.
• Keep your thumb facing up toward the ceiling.
• Squeeze shoulder blades back.
• Hold for a few seconds.
• Slowly lower back your hands.
• Then return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Wall press up

• Start with a stand facing a wall.
• Lift your arms forwards and keep your elbows straight.
• Now squeeze your shoulder blades.
• Then bend your elbows slowly to bring your chest towards the wall.
• Hold this position for a few seconds
• While maintaining the scapular squeeze movement.
• Then push back through.
• So that your hands to come back.
• Then return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Angel Wings

• Start with standing arms overhead.
• Keeping your elbows to the side.
• Then slowly lower your arms.
• Then Squeeze the shoulder blades together
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then slowly return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Chest Openings With Band

• Start with the relaxed standing position.
• Now place a resistance band on your hands.
• Keep your elbows at a ninety-degree angle.
• Push your wrists outward into the band.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then slowly return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Ball roll

• Start with standing holding a ball against the wall at shoulder height.
• Now squeeze your shoulder blades back and down.
• Slowly roll your hand up and down over the ball or roll the ball in small circles.
• While maintaining shoulder squeeze movement.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then slowly return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Modified Plank Press Ups

• Start with lying on your face down.
• Place your elbows and forearms tucked in your body.
• Now lift your chest and hips into a half-plank position.
• So you are resting on your forearms and knees.
• Then lift your upper back up.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades back towards your spine and then push them forward in the opposite direction.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then slowly return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Standing doorway stretch

• Start by standing in the open doorway.
• Raise each arm up to the side and bent at 90-degree angles with palms forward.
• Slowly step forward with one foot.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades.
• Stand upright and don’t lean forward.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Step back and relax.
• Then slowly return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Banden diagonals

• Start with a relaxing standing position.
• Hold a theraband in your both hands.
• Then raise your hands to shoulder height.
• Keep your arms straight.
• Then diagonally pull the band apart.
• The top arm is kept straight up at slightly away from your body.
• Your bottom arm is down to your side and a slight angle away from your body.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then slowly return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Shrug

• Start with a relaxing standing or seating position on the table.
• Now raise your shoulders as high as the comfortable position.
• Touch your ears with your shoulders.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then slowly return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Bear Hug

• Start with a relaxing standing position.
• Hold onto a resistance band wrapped around the middle of your shoulder blades.
• Now raise your arms directly out to your side at a 90-degree angle.
• Keeping your arm as straight as possible.
• Then pull the band forward and inwards as if you were giving someone a hug.
• When your hands meet hold in the position for 5 seconds.
• Then returning to the starting position.
• Then slowly return to your neutral position.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Internal Rotation

• Start with the relaxed standing position.
• Put the band to a door or some other object and face it.
• Then grab the band in the hand of your arm.
• Keep your elbows at a ninety-degree angle side.
• Then put forward the forearm inward of the body.
• Then return to your neutral position slowly.
• Then relax.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Repeat 5-10 times on each side.

Standing Row

• Start with a relaxed standing position.
• Put a resistance band in a door or around a stable object.
• You can hold the end of the band in hand.
• Keep the elbows bent at 90 degrees.
• Your palms are facing each other.
• Then squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• While bringing the elbows back behind you.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then return to your neutral position slowly.
• Then relax.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

Scapular clock

• Start with a relaxed standing position near the wall.
• Wrap a single resistance band at your wrist side.
• Make your hand into a fist.
• Then squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Press your fists gently into a wall clockwise.
• Press your wrists outwards on the band.
• keep your elbows straight.
• Then move your hand 3 o’clock time position.
• Hold this position for a few seconds.
• Then return to your neutral position slowly.
• Then relax.
• Repeat this movement 6,9,12 o’clock time position.
• Repeat 5-10 times.

What precautions are required during exercise?

• Maintain good posture while performing the exercise
• Stop exercising if you feel any kind of pain or Discomfort.
• Take rest between exercises

When do you not exercise?

• Severe muscle burning
• You’re feeling sick.
• If you feel any pain or numbness.
• Fever
• Headache
• If exercise is painful stop the exercise

FAQS

Author: Dr.Bhoomika Bariya