Anterior Deltoids - The cause of your rounded shoulders

The anterior deltoid is our front shoulder muscle.

Is largely responsible for pushing forward and lifting our hands up.

• All up, in certain shoulder positions it is responsible for,

• Lifting your hands in front of you (shoulder flexion),

• Chest press movement (transverse adduction),

• Moving the arms out to the side (shoulder abduction), and

• Bring your shoulders toward the centreline (shoulder adduction).

https://www.nfpt.com/blog/dynamic-deltoids

What causes tight anterior deltoid muscles?

Poor Posture

When we sit hunched over our smartphones, tablets, laptops and steering wheels, our shoulders a drawn forward which can shorten our anterior deltoids.

Photo by Comstock Images/Stockbyte / Getty Images

Overuse

When we overuse our anterior deltoids, they can become tight. 

Think about the way we use our arms everyday. For most of the day our arms are out in front of us, pushing. 

The anterior deltoid is also involved in many chest movements where we push things in front of us. Many sports and exercises, like boxing, raquet sports and weights, largely focus on pushing movements. [i]

Photo by jacoblund/iStock / Getty Images

What happens when we have tight anterior deltoid muscles?

When our anterior deltoids are tight, 

• it can further cause our shoulders to hunch forward,

• cause bad posture,

• put pressure on the back, 

• fatigue our upper back muscles, and

• restrict shoulder movement.[ii][iii]

So, I have tight anterior delts…what can I do about it?

Firstly, if you are suffering pain, there are several medical causes, so please consult your health professional for advice. 

Additionally, here are some things you can do to help with tight anterior delts.

Mobility

Standing Chest Opener

1. Stand and clasp your hand behind your back.

2. Draw your shoulder blades together and feel the front of your chest open and stretch.

3. Swap your hadn’t clasp and do it again (often feel very awkward but is good for balancing the sides).

You can also do it with a towel or a yoga strap.

https://www.verywellfit.com/easy-stretches-with-a-strap-2696355

https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-do-anterior-shoulder-stretch-3436426

Self-myofascial Release (Self-massage)

Trigger Ball

1. Placing a ball between your deltoid a wall (front, side or rear).

2. Roll against the wall.

https://drnotley.com/self-myofascial-release-of-the-shoulder-deltoid/

Yoga 

Bow Pose

1. Lie on your stomach with your hands alongside your body.

2. Bend your knees and bring your heels as close to your butt as you can (keep your knees no wider than hip width).

3. Reach back with your hands and take a hold of your ankles.

4. Try and lift your heels away from your butt and lift your thighs away from the floor.

5. Draw the tops of your shoulders away from your ears.

Conclusion

Our anterior deltoid can get tight during the day from hunching over our electronics and playing sport. This can cause poor posture, pain and reduced shoulder mobility. Try these exercises to help loosen and relax those tight shoulder muscles to help you stand taller and move better.

You can also get your FREE 2 week Recharge trial and we’ll go through these techniques with you.

The EVERYDAY can lead to tight shoulders.

Come to Recharge and Move BEYOND the EVERYDAY.