Perform Chest Stretches

Whether you lift weights, work in an office or simply struggle with bad posture, chest stretches may be an essential activity missing from your daily routine. The pectoralis major muscle fans out from your arm, reaching your clavicle, the ribs and the sternum. It helps with rotating the shoulders, throwing and breathing. Because it is a very thick muscle, if can easily become tight if you hunch forward or overuse the pectoralis muscles during exercise. If you find it hard to sit up straight, your chest muscles may be tight without causing acute pain. Luckily, there are chest stretches that you can do in under 5 minutes that do not require any special equipment. This article will tell you how to perform chest stretches.

Steps

  1. Warm up your muscles before doing stretches. You risk less of a chance of injury if you increase the blood flow to your muscles. You can go for a walk and swing your arms, do shoulder circles and chest hugs or do your regular workout that exercises your upper body.
  2. Find an open door frame. It should be a small to medium door frame because you need to be able to stretch both your elbows to the outside of the frame.
  3. Position your elbows below your shoulder level. With your forearms at a 90 degree angle to your arms, place your hands firmly against the outside of the door frame.
  4. Step forward with your right leg, keeping your arms firmly on the door. You should feel a pull in your pectoralis muscle between your shoulders and your chest.
  5. Hold for 30 to 90 seconds, depending upon the severity of tightness in your pectoralis minor muscle.
  6. Step back, returning to the original position. Move your elbows up to shoulder level.
  7. Step forward again to stretch the middle fibers of both of your pectoralis muscles.
  8. Hold for 30 to 90 seconds.
  9. Step back to the neutral position and raise your arms to just above your shoulders.
  10. Step forward a third time. Hold for 30 to 90 seconds.

Single Arm Chest Stretch

  1. Return your arms to your sides and step forward twice through the door frame.
    • You can also do this stretch using a pole.
  2. Reach your right arm back, so that your fingers grasp the outside edge of the door frame. Keep your arm straight and keep it at or just under shoulder level.
  3. Turn your body to the left until you feel a pull in your chest muscles. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
  4. Repeat on the left side, by holding onto the left side of the door frame and turning right.

Office Chest Stretch

  1. Place your hands behind your head, while sitting at your desk. Do not clasp your hands together.
  2. Pull your shoulder blades together and bring your elbows back as far as possible.
  3. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
  4. Release the stretch and relax your arms at your sides.
  5. Wait 10 seconds and then repeat the stretch.

Warnings

  • Be careful when stretching your chest muscles to avoid severe pain. Stretching may be slightly uncomfortable but it should never produce severe acute pain.

Things You'll Need

  • Door frame
  • Post (optional)

Related Articles

  • Do a Side Forearm Stretch

Sources and Citations

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Perform_Chest_Stretches&oldid=297129"