MONDAY MOVE

A Posture-Perfecting Exercise You May Not Have Tried

Your shoulders will love you for this

There’s a muscle in your torso I’d guess you haven’t thought about lately (if ever), and it could probably use some attention: your serratus anterior. The serratus muscles connect your ribcage to each shoulder blade, which means that neglecting them can cause “winging,” or the shoulder blades flaring out. When the serratus muscles are strong, the shoulder blades effortlessly plug back and down into place, which in turn broadens the chest, allows you to sit or stand up taller and with excellent posture, and helps prevent injury to the rotator cuff. This happy-scapula position can even help you breathe more deeply.

To help your serratus achieve greatness, try a serratus push-up (also known as a scapular push-up). The motion here is a bit subtle, so I’d suggest practicing it seated to make sure you understand what you’re supposed to do before you get on all fours or into a plank and throw gravity into the mix. Unlike a regular push-up, you won’t be bending your elbows — all the movement comes from the shoulder joint.

Serratus push-ups: seated practice

Image: Anna Maltby (Note: I’m a bit more in my traps than would be ideal here. Try to avoid shrugging the shoulders toward your ears when you bring the shoulder blades toward each other.)

• Find a comfortable seated position, in a chair (scoot to the edge, if possible, to ensure your spine is in a neutral position…