We all need to get into a habit of doing daily chest stretches.
Just one or two simple stretches increases blood flow to these areas therefore bringing more energy into these tight muscles. This practice will also encourage better posture long-term, helping us to move ahead in life with more ease (& who doesn’t want this!)
Incorporate rowing into your cardio exercises, bent over rows in to your conditioning work exercises and chest opener’s to stretch out the front of the body like bridges. Check out the info below that came across my desk this week that lists a few simple stretches.
Aim for stepping away from your desk every 20 mins (or whenever you can) and hooking one arm against a door frame, gently turning away to stretch out the chest and shoulder area. You will feel so much better. Grab a colleague at work and get them involved. Bring your hands behind your back when you’re at a stoplight and hinge forward from the hip (put your vehicle in park!)
So many of us spend the day hunched over a laptop or cell phone. These simple exercises for chest opening help combat all of that slouching.
When you slouch, your chest muscles tighten, and over time that can cause all kinds of pain and discomfort in both your chest and back. Not to mention the number it does on your posture! Stretching out the chest muscles while strengthening the upper back helps improve posture and counteract all of that time playing Pokemon Go on your phone. What, just me?
1. Sphinx Pose
There are a lot of yoga chest openers, but Sphinx Pose is probably the easiest one you can do. This is a very gentle back bend that almost anyone can practice.
2. Doorway Stretch
You can stretch both sides of your chest at once, like in the video above. If you’re a smaller person, like me, and your elbows don’t reach both sides of a doorway, you can also just do one side at a time. It takes a bit longer, but the results work just as well.
3. Reclined Twist
This stretch works the sides of the body, including the chest. It’s a very relaxing pose that feels great. Don’t worry about your knees touching the floor in this pose. Just let gravity do its thing. No matter how far your body can go, you’re getting the benefit. Those knees will sink down in time.
4. Chair Stretch
The great thing about this simple chest opening exercise is that you can practice it anywhere, even at your desk! Have a seat, and let’s stretch those chest muscles!
5. Cat and Cow Pose
Really, is there anything that Cat and Cow Pose can’t do? Flow between these two stretches, and enjoy! Cow pose is the part of this mini-sequence that really stretches out the chest, so take nice, big, deep breaths as you sink into Cow to really get into those chest muscles.
6. Standing Chest Opener
This is another quick-and-easy chest stretch that you can do anywhere. Just intertwine your fingers behind your back, straighten your arms, and lift your hands away from your bottom until you feel a nice pull in the chest. Focus on pulling your shoulder blades together and pulling your shoulders down and back.
7. Cow Face Pose
The name may be similar, but this is a very different stretch than Cat and Cow Pose. Cow Face is a seated yoga position that stretches the hips and shoulders and opens the chest.
8. Standing Forward Bend
The video above explains how to do a standing forward bend with a chest-opening arm variation. If you can do the full pose, go for it! If not, he walks you through another variation that gives the same benefit.
Check out this short video for some great ideas https://www.facebook.com/nrg4lifefitness/