Shari Berkowitz in one of her classes
Many of us suffer from tight necks and shoulders. With all the activities that we do where we lean forward with our shoulders, such as bending over, cooking, sitting at desks, driving and typing, it’s easy to understand why our shoulder girdle area can get tight and sore. The good news is, taking Pilates classes can help to strengthen this area, resulting in decreased or eliminated pain.
Our shoulder girdle is comprised of bones, muscles, ligaments, nerves and blood vessels. The bones that compose the girdle are the scapulae (shoulder blades) and clavicles (collarbones). Its primary function is to help move the humerus to support activities that the hands perform, such as holding or carrying items, throwing, drawing, pushing, pulling, opening, closing—the list goes on and on. You can see why this area is so integral to all movement we do.
Due to all this movement taking place, you can see why so many people suffer from issues related to the shoulder girdle. What’s interesting is that even the strongest students at our Pilates studio have problems with this area. The shoulder girdle should actually be one of the most mobile parts of our bodies! Our shoulder’s range of motion is remarkable—it’s very open and flexible, allowing you to reach, stretch and accomplish many related tasks. We actually depend on this area tremendously, which is yet another reason why Pilates classes are so fundamental.
Our powerhouse and lower back areas should be stable so that our arms and shoulder girdle can enjoy a greater range of motion. Too much movement in the lower part leads to back strains, lumbar disk injuries and other problems, while not enough movement in the upper region can result in neck pain, tendonitis, stiffness and rotator cuff injuries. In our Pilates classes, we teach movement that helps to strengthen and align these areas properly so that you don’t fight your neck and cause pain, joint stiffness and other issues.
More good news—we have a special workshop coming up at our Pilates studio that is dedicated to helping students understand and strengthen the extremely important shoulder girdle. Presented by renowned Pilates teacher, Shari Berkowitz, Shoulder Girdle: A Delicate Balance & Beyond The Everyday: Archival Exercises takes place February 23 and 24 from 10 am – 1pm and is open to everyone. Shari is the owner of The Vertical Workshop in New York City and Los Angeles, and has extensive education and teaching background travels around the world presenting all style of Pilates.
image: TheVerticalWorkshop.com