06/10/2026
A client came in and told me her (fill in the blanks) practitioner had told her to do Rows to strengthen her winging scapula. If only it were that simple!
A scapula that wings is up and forward, goes with a shoulder, which lays on a ribcage, which sits on a spine, which is supported by a pelvis, which is supported by your femurs, your tibia, and ultimately relates to your ankle position. Any chronic position in the body is a full body compensation. It’s a pattern.
The thing is for some people these patterns don’t bother them. However, if the client is asking enough of their body in sport and life that we want to be as strong as possible, then looking at full body patterns likely has some huge gains.
My posture is quite common. It’s like Michelangelo’s David minus the alabaster. Most people sit in their right hip a little.
A little training that is also preventive and rehab focussed can go along way.
🫁 learn to breathe into your back- especially between your shoulder blades. The winging side will have a harder time at this
🦾 learn to use your serratus to open up your upper back -think elbows forward as you roll the roller up with wall, and shoulder blades wide. The band makes it harder. 5 reps and you’ll be cooked.
🩻 rotation is part of this pattern. You’ll have to learn to bring the winging side Back.
🫸 then you have to see if you can do all this against resistance: , downward dog and elephant, long stretch and plank… so many opportunities to figure this out. Eventually advance to one arm movements and rotation.
And then you can figure out the pelvis and feet ;)
Any one else been told one exercise will fix one thing? We are connected human systems, so it’s just not that easy.
Any movement into areas where you aren’t used to moving is good for the body. Find it, and spend some time there.