Let's kick off this newsletter with Simon Says, Pilates style!
Simon says…touch your nose! (No big deal)
Simon says…touch your toes! (Bigger deal)
Simon says…raise your arms above your head without doing some weird arch thing with your back! (BIG deal)
“Raise your arms above your head” sounds simple, right? But wow, there's actually a lot to unpack with shoulder flexion. Let's look at that picture below, the one showing off our "upper body" from the front.
Notice the shoulder joint. This is where the top of your humerus meets a part of the shoulder blade, called the glenoid fossa. Those shoulder blades, or scapulae, kinda "float" on your back. Think of them as “islands in a sea of muscle” because, fun fact, they're only tied to your main skeleton at the collarbone. Underneath all that? Your rib cage, which sits pretty on your thoracic spine.
So, what’s our point? It's this: when you move one part, like your shoulder joint, it's not an isolated event. All these structures – the shoulder, scapula, ribcage, and spine – they're all connected and influencing each other. It's like a domino effect in your own body! And here's the kicker: if we learn to differentiate movement of the shoulder joint from, say, the thoracic spine, we can significantly reduce wear and tear, making our movements smoother and lowering the risk of injury. Explore this differentiation with Nicole this week; your shoulders will thank you!
CLASS THEMES
Monday, October 16th @ 12pm with Nicole:
Poor postures confuses our nervous system’s ability to differentiate joint movement. Today will remind our bodies what it feels like to move the arm inside the shoulder. This differentiation keeps us active and, when done correctly, decompress the back. Props: Foam Roller – the softest one you got.
Wednesday, October 18th @ 8am with Destinie:
This class will resume Wednesday, November 1st!
Friday, October 20th @ 12pm with Destinie:
We’re keeping the MELTβ foam rolling goodness happening! But don’t wait to sign up! Only two of these classes are left in October.
MELTβ into the Weekend is designed to rehydrate your connective tissue. Say goodbye to stiffness as you unlock greater flexibility, mobility, and a sense of calm. It's the perfect stress-buster, weekend mood-setter to cap off your week.
*Full-length foam roller required—we recommend this specific one, but any full-length roller that you can lie on from head to tail will do the job.*
*As always – if you can’t make it live for class, just sign up to receive the recording automatically.*
DEEP DIVE
On the most mobile joints in the body is the shoulder joint. The shoulder joint is created by the head of your arm bone (the humerus) meeting a shallow depression on your shoulder blade (the scapula). There are discrepancies in sizes of the ball and the socket that allow our shoulders a massive range of motion but are also vulnerable to instability. Let’s give you a visual:
The shoulder joint is the golf ball (head of humerus) on a tee (glenoid fossa a.k.a socket of the shoulder joint). Notice, the articular surface is small, leaving room for things to go awry amongst all of that range of motion.
