Strength space: serratus anterior
The serratus anterior moves the shoulder blades across the back (abduct/protract) with an upward rotation. In cat pose/marjaryasana or plank pose/phalakasana a yoga teacher might ask you to push the earth away from you. The action of pressing the earth away activates serratus anterior and prevents us collapsing in our upper back.
A strong serratus anterior can improve the control we have moving from plank pose into chaturanga dandasana. Strengthening serratus anterior will also improve arm balance asanas as it is a strong shoulder blade stabiliser in these asanas.
The serratus anterior has a serrated or fan shaped appearance where it originates on the first 9 ribs. It sweeps around the ribcage along the side of the body to insert on the inner portion of the underside of the shoulder blade.
Its synergists (muscles working together) include pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. Think of a person boxing. As we punch our arm forward the serratus anterior and pectorals work together with other shoulder muscles to draw the whole shoulder girdle (scapula, shoulder joint, collarbone) forward and in a little in order to strike. In yoga a more gentle version of this punch can be seen in dead bug and happy baby/ananda balasana.
The antagonists of serratus anterior include rhomboids and trapezius. Even though these muscles work in opposition to serratus anterior this opposing force plays an important role in stabilising the shoulder blade in arm balances and in over head reaching activities (think tennis serve or swimming front crawl).
Weakness or under activity of the serratus anterior can be observed as a winging of the inner border of the shoulder blade. Damage to its nerve supply from the long thoracic nerve can also result in winging. Unfortunately winging shoulder blades mean that the shoulder blade is not doing its job as a stabiliser during punching, pressing and over head arm motion. As a result the mechanics of the whole shoulder girdle is disrupted and it is common to develop shoulder pain at the front and/or side of the shoulder.
Phalakasana/plank pose with dolphin arms variation
References and resources:
-Serratus Anterior - Physiopedia (physio-pedia.com)
-The Key Muscles of Yoga by Ray Long, 2006 edition
Disclaimer: Content on yogaspace.ie is not a substitute for in person medical or health professional assessment and advice. If you have concerns about your health always seek out a medical professional assessment. I setup yogaspace.ie to authentically share my learning experiences as I practice yoga. My experiences are influenced by my background in physiotherapy but content posted is not affiliated with any health body/organisations or professional body. The content reflects my experiences and my views and should not be taken as personal health advice. Always practice yoga under the supervision and guidance of a qualified yoga instructor. I assume no responsibility and am not liable for any injury or loss sustained that may result from practicing yoga or in connection with any of the content posted on yogaspace.ie
