Stretch of the Week: The Rack

The fourth week of March brings us to a stretch called “The Rack.” Although it may sound a little daunting, it’s actually an easy and wonderful stretch!

You do not need any equipment to perform this stretch. Please skip this stretch if you have shoulder injuries or experience difficulty getting up and down from the floor.

How to perform:

There are three levels for this stretch: beginner, intermediate and advanced.

1. Take a seat on the floor with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Place hands directly behind you, with your fingers pointed away from the body as shown in the “Beginner” photo. Press your palms, bottoms of all knuckles and finger tips into the floor. Roll your biceps away from the armpits for an open chest. Keep your arms straight, but not locked at the elbow. Draw your shoulder blades back together firmly and down toward your tailbone. Pull your belly button in and slightly up for abdominal engagement.

Take note: having a collapsed chest as in the bottom right “Incorrect” photo is not healthy for the shoulder joint and will not provide a stretch.

2. If this position feels okay or like you may need more sensation to feel the stretch, move on to the “Intermediate” position by moving your hands back roughly 3-4 inches as shown in the right top photo. Keep all of the muscle engagements and alignment as described in the first step.

3. If this is still not enough stretch for you, then move your hands back another 3-4 inches as shown in the bottom left “Advanced” photo. You can also straighten your legs. Remember to keep all of the muscle engagements and alignments as described above in this step as well.

4. You can stay in each of these positions for 30 seconds. Repeat two times with the variation that felt the best for your body.

Interested in learning more? Email me at rachel.lackowski@athletico.com

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