The little-known infraspinatus muscle plays a big role in yoga

Even if you’re not interested in anatomy or have only practiced yoga a few times, you probably have a vague knowledge of certain muscle groups. The instructor will likely have mentioned your abs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and hip flexors during class. But there’s another underappreciated muscle group that isn’t mentioned frequently in yoga classes, likely because it’s located out of sight in the upper back.

All muscles are associated with the shoulders, and there is one triangular muscle in particular that deserves attention. It covers most of the back shoulder blades and then crosses the shoulder joint at the top and back of the humerus. Known as the infraspinatus muscle, it is a muscle that works quietly to counteract some of our bad postural habits. Basically, everyone who practices or teaches yoga should know how to strengthen it.

What does the infraspinatus muscle do?

The primary action of the infraspinatus muscle is to rotate your arms outward when it contracts. (Put your arms beside your body. Then move your palms forward. This is external rotation.)

The infraspinatus is also a major stabilizer of the shoulder due to its role as part of the rotator cuff, a group of muscles that surrounds the head of the upper arm and adjusts its position relative to the shallow socket on the shoulder.

As a result of these two functions, the infraspinatus has the ability to counteract the inherent tendency to round the shoulders and hunch the upper back as we move through yoga and life. Many common life actions—such as typing, using devices, driving, cooking, or any dexterous task—involve our hands working together in front of us, with our arms turned toward each other and the chest. Taking this unhelpful pattern onto the yoga mat can cause the familiar muscles in the front of our shoulders to grip the humeral head and roll forward, especially in poses like Chaturanga and Side Plank.

This central position creates balanced support for the shoulder joint in weight-bearing yoga poses. It does this by countering the forward pull of gravity in Chaturanga Dandasana and bringing additional stability from the back of the shoulder in Side Plank as well as arm balances and other inversions. The work of the infraspinatus is also a subtle but powerful contributor to the heart-opening effect of backbends and can also help create more breathing space in pranayama.

In each of these roles, muscles are a hidden source of strength and stability. But because the muscle is hidden, it takes specific infraspinatus exercises to dial in its ability.

4 best infraspinatus exercises

You do not need to pay attention to anatomy to strengthen the infraspinatus muscle. You simply need to understand where you can focus and practice it in your practice.

1. Shoulder awareness while sitting

Start sitting with your arms at your sides. Let your shoulders move away from your ears. Rotate your palms forward and outward, away from your body. See if you can feel a subtle sensation along your shoulder blades. Imagine that you are hugging the back of your upper arm in its socket.

Next, raise your arms to shoulder height, bend your elbows into a cactus shape, and reach your fingertips toward the ceiling. Instead of pressing your shoulder blades toward the middle of your back to extend your chest, keep your shoulder blades in place. Rotate your elbows to face forward, keeping your upper arm bones stable as you rotate them slightly in their sockets. If you glance at your right hand and visualize it as the minute hand on a clock, you will have gone from 12 noon to a few minutes after the hour. Feel a more subtle sensation of your chest lifting as your shoulders roll back.

2. Warrior arm difference 2

Maintain the same engagement you experienced in the seated shoulder awareness exercise (above) as you straighten your arms, coming into a T-shape. Keep your upper arm bones rolling back as you slowly turn your palms toward the floor as you do Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II) And notice how lively the back of your shoulders is.

3. Side plank

Still seated, challenge yourself to maintain the same engagement as you move your right hand to the mat, keeping your arms in a T-shape as you face the long side of the mat and extend your left leg straight toward the back of the supported mat. Side board (Vasithasana). Continue to bring the back of your right arm bone into its socket, and notice the strength and stability generated as you balance. After a breath or two, try it on the other side.

4. Chaturanga or low-pressure exercise

Once that feeling of connection to the back shoulder becomes familiar, move on Wave Or high pressure. Without moving your hands, move your upper arm bones slightly back while reaching your sternum slightly forward. This engages the infraspinatus area. Feel your entire shoulder joint strong and supported on all sides.

Maintain this engagement as you slowly bend your elbows and partially lower yourself Chaturanga Dandasana. Stop there and notice how your chest appears broader and more buoyant than it might be in this familiar shape. Then lower yourself until you reach the mat or drop your knees and dip again Child’s position (Balasana) for rest.