The levator scapulae runs down the side of our neck and connects the shoulder blades to the spine. It helps with lifting our shoulders, tilting our head, squeezing our shoulder blades together, and tilting our shoulder blades. It is commonly used in activities such as swimming, throwing, and racquet sports. Here are some mobility, self-massage and yoga poses that can help.

In our daily lives of sitting, our Iliopsoas can get weak and tight causes a tilt in our pelvis and strain on our lower back. Try the Thomson test to see if your iliopsoas muscles are tight and see a health professional if you are experiencing any pain. Additionally, these joint mobility, self-massage and yoga techniques may help to assist you in re-lengthening your iliopsoas muscles and  restore your posture and relieve tension in the lower back.

The boxer’s muscle (serratus anterior) is not just for boxer’s. It helps us reach overhead which means when it is tired and weak it can result in back, shoulder and neck pain. Sitting and repetitive exercises like tennis or swimming can often lead to these muscles being tight and weak. These mobility, self-massage and yoga exercises can help.

The teres minor is the smallest of the rotator cuff muscles. The subscapularis can become dysfunctional with overhead arm movements such as in  swimming and racket sports. When the teres minor muscles are tight, overhead movements can be difficult. These mobility exercises, self-massage techniques and yoga poses can help.

The scalene muscles are a muscle group in our neck that support the top of the spine which are located on the side of the throat and form a triangle together. As well as supporting the spine, they are also used for flexing, tilting, and laterally bending the neck.Tight or painful SCMs can cause pain in the jaw, neck, back of the head, ear, cheek or teeth and tension headaches.