New Delhi, July 26 -- Take something as simple as a push-up. Most people attempting one will focus on the position of the hips, the distance between the arms, how the fingers are planted, and the flaring of the elbow as they go from a high plank position and lower themselves to the floor. What often gets overlooked is the way the shoulder blades are moving. A push-up incorporates both the retraction and protraction of the shoulder blades, just like a lot of other exercises do. Which makes it important to know how to utilise your shoulder blades' range of motion (ROM).

"Protraction and retraction are two movements of the scapula, also known as the shoulder blades, that are responsible for forward and backward motion. Protraction moves the...