Chest Opener Stretch Tutorial

How to Do the Chest Opener Stretch Exercise

Overview

The Chest Opener stretch feels just as it sounds, like a nice opening up of the chest and shoulders. There’s no equipment needed and it can be done while sitting or standing. It’s excellent as a cool-down post-exercise or as part of any exercise routine when you just want a good stretch.

Level

Beginner

Targets

Upper Chest, Middle Chest, Lower Chest

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Stand or sit up tall.
  2. Hold both arms in front, hands palm-to-palm.
  3. Inhale deeply and smoothly draw your arms out and back.
  4. Take in several deep, cleansing breaths and feel your chest and shoulders open.
  5. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you breathe.
  6. Return both arms to the front and repeat 5-10 times.
  7. Keep your core straight and avoid overextending your back.
  8. Smoothly bring your gaze as far as is comfortable, taking care not to overextend the neck
  9. Engage your abdominal muscles to maintain the posture and protect the back

And there you have a simple chest stretch!

[Video Transcript]

Because we spend much of our lives in front of our phones texting or sitting at a computer, it can have a big impact on posture. You can see what that does to Caitlyn’s posture, it takes the natural curve out of her neck and hunches her shoulders forward.

To counteract that, we’ll teach you a stretch to open up the chest. Kaitlyn is going to put her phone down, stand tall with good posture, and bring her chin up. She grabs her hands or wrists behind her back to stretch out her chest and pectoral muscles. While keeping her back from arching, she rolls her shoulders back and pulls her wrists down or slightly away from her body to increase the stretch.

When viewed from behind, you can see her shoulder blades coming together. Hold this stretch for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat multiple times a day to help open up the chest and improve posture.

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