This is a great stretch for the muscles of the chest as well as the front of the shoulders. This is a particularly good stretch if you spend much of your time typing on a computer or driving, which often means your shoulders are hunched forward for hours at a time.
- Sit or stand and hold a resistance band in a wide grip.
- Take the band straight up over the head with arms in a v shape. There should be some tension on the band, so adjust your hand position as needed to create more or less tension.
- Pull the hands apart and down, taking the arms just slightly back as you lower them down.
- Lower down until you feel a gentle stretch in the chest and shoulders.
- Hold for 10-30 seconds.
Tips
- If you don't have a band, you can try this move by using a doorway - simply prop your arms on either side of the door and gently press forward until you feel a stretch in the chest.
- If you have shoulder problems, you may want to avoid this stretch. It does involve the rotator cuff muscles, which may cause problems with some exercisers.
- Keep the abs in and make sure there's enough tension on the band to feel a stretch across the front of the chest.
