The Stretching Habit
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Stretch Progression W-L-Y Doorway

Stress makes us tense up, while time and fatigue makes our shoulder round forward. This stretch series to turns back the hands of time opening your shoulders and improving posture.

Stretching Application

Stretching is for everyone. Not everyone is an athlete but everyone needs to stretch. The most important thing to understand is that athletes and people who just want to stretch to feel better need to stretch differently. Think of it this way, athletic stretching is just complex or advanced stretching and not everyone needs or can benefit from this type of stretching. Start with simple stretches and work your way towards the more complicated stretching. Just remember that we all need to stretch!

Health Focused Application

W-L-Y Doorway stretches are great for everyone to do. They are some of the most easy and effective stretches you can do throughout your day. These stretches counter the negative effects of sitting at your computer or texting all day and combat rounded shoulders!

Athletic / Fitness Application

No matter what sport you do, your neck is under a lot of pressure because if there is any explosive movement required from the body, your neck will tense up to hold your head in place once that happens. Your knees will bend, your hips will lower and your neck will prepare to not leave your head behind!

Science and Medical Connection

The SITS muscle group are not the only shoulder muscles, but they are often the leading cause of shoulder pain. The SITS are your rotator cuff muscles that enable the throwing motion of a ball. The Supraspinatus lifts the are, the Infraspinatus and Teres Minor pull and rotate the arm backwards so that the Subscapularis can explosively rotate the arm forward to throw. This is why it is a common sports injury.

Scientific Perspective of the Shoulder

There is the anatomical structure of the shoulder that is the pathway for signals between your brain and your arms and hands. But tight muscles can change that structure and impinge or impede that flow of information and carpal tunnel is more about that nerve impediment than the position of your wrist!

Medical Perspective of the Shoulder

Tight muscles create stiffness and pain in your neck, head and shoulders. Weak muscles allow the head to fall forward and shoulders to round forward as well. All of this creates pains that can start at your head and neck but end up pulling all the way into low back pain. Flexing the posterior rotator muscles is on of the best practices you can engage in along with the W-L-Y Doorway stretches to combat rounded shoulders and forward head trust.

Stretch Instructions

The Healthy Progression of a Stretch is the Same as the Medical Rehabilitation of a Muscle

Stretching For Your Health

There is a healthy progression for every muscle from beginner to advanced. Because we deal with stress everyday, stretching is most effective when you do them everyday. Below is a comprehensive list for the healthy progression of stretches. Start with the basic versions and work your way slowly to the advanced.

Athletic Stretching

Overtraining and over stretching causes injuries more than the competition itself. When it comes to stretching, listen to what your muscles are telling you. If they are overworked or too tired, they will not be able to give you as much length as yesterday. Be in the moment, present and methodical as you go through the progressions below.

The W-Doorway stretch tends to be the easiest and best place to start for this series. Always start at a point where there is no pressure or pain. For this one you would place your hands on both sides of the doorway and move forward and step one foot into the other room and slowly move forward until you feel the stretch in your shoulder and/or chest region.

The L-Doorway stretch is done by simply sliding your hands up from the W-position and repeating the same process of leaning/stepping forward into the stretch and then easing up on it to relax and then step/lean back in again to get the stretch.

The Y-Doorway stretch is done by sliding your hands up from the L-position and repeating the same process of leaning/stepping forward into the stretch and then easing up on it to relax and then step/lean back in again to get the stretch.

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