Foam Roller Exercises and Stretches for the Latissimus Dorsi (Muscles in the Side and Back)'The human body is the best picture of the human soul.' ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein The next foam roller exercises that you will learn involve the latissimus dorsi muscles at the side, under the armpit and around the back. Additionally the teres major is known as the "little helper" of the latissimus dorsi. I also show foam roller exercises that include cross friction of the latissimus dorsi, by rolling across the muscle instead of up and down. I also include back stretches and side stretches (latissimus dorsi stretches) to help you further stretch out tight muscles of your side and mid to upper back where your latissimus dorsi is located. Since the latissimus dorsi is a component of the movement of the shoulder, and back, it would also be good for you to view Foam Roller Exercises that Focus on Opening Your Shoulder and for the Upper Back. The shoulder is a very complex system of muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones, with many muscles interconnecting from the arms, back, neck and shoulders. Treating your body as a system instead of just individual muscles, will improve your over health of your body-mind-soul. If you desire to skip the introductory material, scroll down the page to jump straight to the exercise video and foam roller latissimus dorsi stretches. I would also encourage you to read Foam Rolling for an overview of body rolling on a foam roller. Foam rolling uses a technique called self myofascial release. Self myofascial release is important to learn if you wish to keep your muscles healthy as you go through life. If you read Foam Rolling, I more fully explain this physical concept and how the body-mind connection is enhanced by doing it. So pick up your Premium Textured EVA foam roller today and begin your healing journey ~ the healing of your body-mind-soul. All my foam rolling articles are written with this body-mind-soul effect in mind, as you learn to hear you muscular pain, and make the foam roller exercise meditative and intuitive for healing. It is a way for you to learn the 'feel it and heal it' concept. Emotions do affect our bodies, as I have written in How Emotions Affect Our Body. Please also read this article if you desire to delve more deeply into the phenomenon of body-mind-soul healing. The Function of the Latissimus Dorsi and Teres Major MusclesSimply stated, the latissimus dorsi and teres major are both responsible for the adduction, extension, internal rotation and transverse extension of the shoulder. The most familiar movement of the latissimus dorsi is the pull-up. I call the 'lats' the ‘wings’ because when you view them flexed, at the side and back, they resemble a bird’s wing. To fully understand the latissimus dorsi and teres muscle movements and shoulder articulations, see the excellent website at ExRx.net. ExRx does such a good job of the showing these movements, that I will not go into more detail. Meditate on the Meaning of Your Lats in Your LifeI love the use of metaphors. Body metaphors are a result of the collective human experience of the body-mind connection. Please read What is a Metaphor and Why is it Important? to understand this concept more fully and the part that body metaphors play in our lives. My discussion of the body metaphors that we use surrounding the shoulder can be found at Foam Roller Exercises that Focus on Opening Your Shoulder. Please see this article to determine if your issues of tight lats reflect any issues surrounding the shoulder that refer to your joy and hope in life versus reflecting your helplessness and hopelessness. With the latissimus dorsi muscle, the major movement is in pulling, like that used in rowing and in the pull up. 'Pulling yourself up by the bootstraps' is a metaphor that implies that all you have to do is just be strong enough to pull your own self out of bad situations and problems. When I went to look up metaphors surrounding the muscular movement of pulling, I was just amazed! I was worried I wouldn’t have enough to write about, in regards to the latissimus dorsi, but was I wrong. Consider these metaphors: 'Pull yourself together,' 'pull out of it,' 'pull your weight,' 'pull together as a team,' 'pull out all the stops.' All of these sayings are about making the best effort possible, whether it is as a team or in most of these examples, as an individual. So, instantly what comes to mind, if you have tight and sore latissimus dorsi muscles, is that you are pulling too hard – at precisely what, is what you need to determine. It is your muscle tightness and soreness in this particular area that tells you that you are pulling too hard – both physically and emotionally. You can focus on this area for your foam roller exercises to help you release this muscle and release the emotions that created the tightness. Create your list of affirmations to help you stop pulling so hard. You can decide that pulling your own weight so hard may no longer be working for you. You may need to make some changes in your life that bring you more peace and joy. You can learn to develop an attitude of trust, so that others can help pull the weight! Or if your issue is one of lack of fortitude, you can learn to stop allowing others to 'pull you in all directions!' Or perhaps something is ‘pulling you in’ that you really need to pay attention to! That would signify the exact opposite of trust! Perhaps you are gullible and trust too much! Or have you been ‘pulled in all directions’ and you need to stand up for yourself. (Another metaphor!) When you do foam roller exercises for the latissimus dorsi, located under the armpit, the side and back, meditate on their meaning in your life. Affirmations for Trust, Joy, Hope and Fortitude.
Personalize and Adjust the Foam Roller Exercises for Your Latissimus Dorsi MusclesAs with all foam roller exercises you can adjust the amount of time you spend on each area. As you roll, stay as long as you like in one position, if your left side is tighter than your right side. Just make sure you do both sides equally to maintain your balance. Really notice your body and how it feels when you do the foam roller exercises for the back and side muscles under the armpit. Really notice how you feel with back stretches and side stretches (latissimus dorsi stretch). Open you heart to the message your latissimus dorsi brings. B-r-e-a-t-h-e as you sink into the tight and sore spot. If it is too painful that you cannot breathe, ease up on the back stretch or side stretch, or the pressure on the foam roller. The deep breathing is the signal to your body that you are in the relaxed state and eventually the muscle will release as long as you are able to deep breathe. Feel the pull of the side and back stretches as you sink and roll into the muscles. Breathe more deeply as you sink farther into this latissimus dorsi stretch. Let go. Let the tension go, let the stress go and let the muscle release. When the muscle releases, so may your emotions, your need to pull so hard. Let go of this need. Open yourself and your sides to let trust, hope, joy or fortitude flow in.
Foam Roller Exercises and Stretches for the Latissimus Dorsi and the Teres Muscles:I will give the foam roller exercises in two parts: First I will give you a brief description of the movement in writing for those of you who function best with your left, detail-oriented brain. Second is a short video of the movement. There is no voice-over on the video, so as you watch, I will force you to use your right brain, the sensing, feeling part of your brain. The right brain perceives images and spatial relationships. It is the part of the brain that you most often close down, in our left-brain, detail and language-oriented culture. (See Improving Your Body Balance is Improving Your Life Balance for more explanation of right brain vs. left-brain functions). No voice-over will also aid you in going inward when you do your foam roller exercises. Feel free to vary the exercise in any way as your intuition moves you! Do not perform these exercises if you have more than moderate pain in your back or shoulders!
My favorite for side stretches are the Wide-Angled Seated Side Bend and the Cow Face Pose.
Foam roller exercises and exercise stretches are a great way to stretch your body and 'stretch your mind’ and heal your body-mind-soul. It is the metaphor of creating space in your life, by creating space in your body! May your path to self-discovery be enhanced by these foam roller exercises for your latissimus dorsi and by doing back stretches and side stretches. May your journey towards body-mind-soul healing through self myofascial release begin! Related Foam Rolling Articles that You May Enjoy!:
Foam Roller Exercises for the Lower Body and Lower Back:
Foam Roller Exercises for the Upper Body and Upper Back:
New! CommentsPlease voice your opinion on the matter. Leave me a comment in the box below. |
