Scapular Muscle Activity During Static Yoga Postures

STUDY DESIGN: Controlled, cross-sectional laboratory study. BACKGROUND: Despite the growing popularity of yoga, little is known about the muscle activity of the scapular stabilizers during isometric yoga postures and their potential utility in shoulder rehabilitation. OBJECTIVES: To examine scapular stabilizer muscle activation during various yoga postures center dot METHODS: Twenty women with yoga experience and no shoulder pain or injury participated Electromyography v/as used to record the muscle activity of the upper, middle, and lower trapezius, as well as of the serratus anterior, during 15 yoga postures. RESULTS: Muscle activity varied between yoga postures (3%-57% maximum voluntary isometric contraction [MVIC]) Overall, the "locust arms" "forward" posture elicited the highest activity from the upper (22.4% MVIC), middle (41.8% MVIC). and lower (56.8% MVIC) trapezius, while several postures elicited moderate activity (greater than 20% MVIC) from the serratus anterior, Conversely, the "dancer's pose right," "reverse tabletop," and "warrior II" postures demonstrated low activity (less than or equal to 15.7% MVIC) of the scapular stabilizers, CONCLUSION: Strengthening the scapular stabilizer muscles is an important component of shoulder rehabilitation. Yoga postures have been identified that activate the scapular stabilizer muscles at varying levels of activity, J Orthop.