Rhomboids stretch : Health benefits, Type and How to do ?

Rhomboids stretch is the best exercise to improve flexibility and Mobility of your shoulder girdle. This stretch is easy to perform Home exercise you can try at home in the early morning.

What is Rhomboids stretch?

Rhomboids are deep muscles situated in the center of your back between your spine and your scapulae. It has two parts – rhomboids major and rhomboids minor.These muscles help in the elevation and rotation of your scapulae.

They also, drag your scapulae toward the spine for good posture. If you have tight or weak rhomboids, you might develop a slumping posture, or feel pain in between your scapulae. Stretching of the rhomboids leads to improvement in your condition.

What is the importance of the rhomboid stretch?

There some importance to do rhomboid stretching, those are :

• Improve shoulder flexibility and mobility.
• Improve the posture.
• It provides stability to the shoulder girdle and scapula. it also drags your scapulae together.
• Stretching increases blood circulation in that area.
• It improves your forward head posture.
• Decrease the strain on the rhomboid muscle.

What are the types of rhomboids stretching?

There are various types of stretching :

Rhomboids stretch 1 :

How to do – Take a standing position and your feet around hip-width apart.
Now extend your arms in front of you and clasp each other.
Now pull your shoulders forward like reach out until you feel your scapulae pulling away from each other.
Then, gently forward bend your head to feel a deep stretch.
Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds, repeat for 3-4 stretches.
Now switch your hands, so your bottom one is up and the other is down, and clasp to feel stretch.

Rhomboids stretch 2:

How to do – Take a sitting position on a flat, level chair.
Now move at the edge of the chair, so your feet touch the floor and the knees are perpendicular.
Now spread the legs slightly more than your hip-width apart.
Reach over and grasp your right ankle with your left hand.
With your right hand, press into your left elbow crease until you feel a gentle stretch between your scapulae and your spine on the left side.
Hold it for 10-15 seconds, deep breathing. then return to begin and repeat for 2-3 repetitions.
Now switch the hand and do it on the left side.

Rhomboids stretch 3:

How to do – Take a standing position, your feet are hip-width apart.
Now extend your hands forward at a shoulder level and clasp your fingers with others and rotate your arms inward, so your palms facing away from your body.
Reach out forward until you feel a stretch between your scapulae.
Hold it and repeat for 2-3 repetitions.

Rhomboids stretch 4:

How to do – Take a sit on a chair. Your back is straight and your feet touch the ground.
Now cross your arms at a forearm level.
Then, move forward to bending at a waist level.
And your arms crossed and your hands move away from each other.
When you feel a gentle stretch between your scapulae, stop there.
Hold this position for 10-15 seconds and repeat.

Rhomboids stretching has some variations :

• Doorway stretching
• Cross-arm stretch
• L- arm stretch

Doorway stretching

How to do – Stand straight with your right side to a door that you want to stretch.
Reach the right arm closest to the door forwards and grab the door frame at chest level.
Your right arm should rotate inwards so that your right thumb points downward.
Keeping your right arm straight, move your body around to look at the door.
Avoid your body to lean or the shoulders to hunch.
You should feel a stretch between your spine and both the scapulae.
Hold this position up to 10-20 seconds and repeat 2-4 times.

Cross arm stretch

How to do – Stand with your feet around shoulder-width apart, then pull your left arm across your body while also pulling your scapula back.
When you feel a mild stretch, stop there and Hold the stretch for 15- 30 seconds.
Perform 3 repetitions of this stretch, then switch and do the right arm.

L-arm stretch

How to do – Lie on your stomach and stretch your left arm underneath your body and across the chest, palm facing up.
Use your shoulder muscles to drag your chest down towards the ground as down as you can without pain.
Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds, then release.
Move inward and outward of the stretched position for 8-10 reps, holding for 20-30 seconds each time.
Then switch and do the same stretch with the right arm.
This stretch may feel uncomfortable at first, but do it you find a comfortable position. For example, you may find it easier if you bend the right leg opposite the left arm across your chest to open up your hips. And opposite on other side.

Common mistakes you can avoid during the stretch

There are some common mistakes you need to avoid during the stretch:

• Doing held stretches before you exercise – You need to avoid static stretches before working out but performing this could work against you. This may be because static stretching before a workout increases whole muscle fatigue, which leads to reduce performance and could increase injury risk. Instead, do static stretches after an activity.
• Thinking you may need to feel pain to advantage – Knowing your limits gives you a benefit. if you feel any pain or discomfort throughout the exercise then release the tension and stop there. It may cause you injury and not beneficial at all. So when you feel mild or gentle stretch that gives you a perfect advantage.
• Hold time of a stretch isn’t long enough – Make sure that your holding time of a stretch is long enough to allow your brain to give a signal to the muscle to relax and lengthen. That time should be 20-30 seconds are enough, you can increase if the area is too tight.
• Holding your breathing as you do a stretch – You may be so concentrated on stretching that you hold your breath. This can reduce the amount of oxygenated blood running to your muscles, which can lower your ability to stretch. It can also reduce the amount of lactic acid in your blood, so you feel pain during the stretch. So make sure that your breathing the pattern should be normal.
• Using wrong technique – You have to use the right technique for good and effective stretch, otherwise, it could make an injury to your muscle.
• Bouncing while stretch – Bouncing while stretching gives a signal to your brain to tighten your muscle, which can lead to a pulled muscle. Instead, avoid the desire to bounce and simply hold the stretch for the recommended time, remember to breathe deeply and continually during the period.
• An injured muscle stretching – Sometimes, some types of stretching after an injury is beneficial, stretching the injured muscle can prolong and delay the healing response. Instead, adjust the stretching muscles to the injured body part so they don’t get stiff as you give relax time to the injured area. Work with a physical therapist so they can assure to promote healing and avoid damage.

Author: Nitesh Patel - Physiotherapist

Physiotherapist in Samarpan Physiotherapy Clinic Ahmedabad Bapunagar Amaraiwadi Vastral Mobile Physiotherapy Clinic Dr. Nitesh Patel ( Physiotherapist ) : Mo No : 09898607803