How to Perform Chest Stretches

Whether you're at the gym a lot or sitting hunched over a desk all day, having a sore chest can be painful and irritating. Luckily, there are ways you can relieve soreness and tightness by doing a couple of simple chest stretches. You can stretch standing up, sitting down, in a doorway, or in a corner of a room. Try different stretches and determine which one is best for you.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Doing a Corner Chest Stretch

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    Stand in a corner with your dominant leg in front of you. Find a corner in your house and stand in a staggered stance, with your legs slightly bent. Stand 1 foot (0.30 m) away from the corner. Your dominant foot should be closer to the corner than the rest of your body. Your back should be straight and your shoulders should be squared.[1]
    • Your dominant foot is on the same side as the hand that you write with.
    • This stretch is good if you have a sore chest from working out too much or from being hunched over all day.
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    Put your hands flat on each wall. Place your left palm on the left wall and your right palm on the right wall. At this point, your back should still be straight. Your hand should be around 2–3 feet (0.61–0.91 m) apart from each other.[2]
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    Bend your front knee and lean into the corner. Your spine should be straight but your back should be at a 30° angle as you lean into the wall. Put your head as close to the wall as you can get it, but keep your neck straight.[3]
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    Hold the position for 30 seconds. As you hold the position, squeeze your shoulder blades together. You should feel the stretch along the front of your chest. Continue to breathe deeply in through your nose and out of your mouth as you hold the stretch.[4]
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    Repeat the process for three repetitions. Slowly slide back to your starting position. Lean into the corner again and repeat the process three times to fully stretch your chest.[5]
Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Standing While You Stretch

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    Stand up straight with your feet a hip-width apart. Your shoulders should be squared but relaxed. Tighten your core muscles and straighten your back.
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    Interlock your fingers behind you. Interlock your fingers near your butt. Your back should still be straight.[6]
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    Push your arms up while pulling your shoulder blades together. Slowly push your interlocked fingers up, towards the ceiling. Inhale as your arms go up and exhale and hold the position once your arms can’t go any further.[7]
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    Hold the position for 15-30 seconds. Breathe deeply in through your nose and out of your mouth. Continue holding the position with your arms extended as far as they can go. Keep looking forward and don’t bend your neck.
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    Do one more repetition. Smoothly return to your starting position and take a deep breath. Then, extend your arms another time and hold the position again for 15-30 seconds. You can do this stretch when you wake up and before you go to sleep. It's also good to stretch your chest after you’ve spent a long time sitting down.
Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Doing an Above-the-Head Chest Stretch

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    Sit or stand with your feet a hip-width apart. Make sure that your back is straight. If you’re having issues keeping your back straight in a chair, stand up. Both shoulders should be squared with your body.[8]
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    Interlock your fingers behind your head. Your elbows should be pointed outwards. Your back should still be straight and your neck should not be bent.
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    Move your elbows backward. As you move your elbows back, squeeze your shoulder blades together. You should feel your chest muscles stretch.
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    Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds. Inhale and exhale deeply as you hold the stretch. Remember to keep your neck straight. It may feel natural to bend your neck backward but you shouldn’t.[9]
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    Do two or three more repetitions. Additional repetitions will fully stretch out your chest. This stretch is great if you’ve been hunched over your desk for a long time.[10]
Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Performing a Door Chest Stretch

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    Stand in a doorway with one foot in front of the other. If you are stretching your left pectoral muscle, your right leg should be in front of you and slightly bent. When stretching your right chest muscle, put your left leg in front of you.[11]
    • If you work out or have to sit a desk all day, you can use this exercise to stretch sore or stiff muscles.
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    Stabilize your shoulder against the door frame. Bend one arm at a 90° angle and place your palm on the door frame. Push your shoulder up against the same door frame.
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    Push your chest gently forward. Carefully lean forward on the side that you’re stretching. You should feel your chest open and stretch. Turn your head in the opposite direction of the stretch to intensify it.[12]
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    Hold the stretch for 30 seconds. Remain in a forward position and continue stretching out your pectoral muscle. If it feels painful, lean back until you’re no longer uncomfortable or in pain.
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    Repeat the stretch on the other side of your body. Take your other arm and place it on the opposite side of the door frame. Make sure that you reposition your feet so that the opposite leg is slightly bent forward. Repeat the stretch and hold the other side for 30 seconds. You can repeat the stretch one or two more times on each side of your body to fully stretch your chest.[13]

Sample Chest Stretches

Expert Q&A

  • Question
    What causes tight chest muscles?
    Danny Gordon
    Danny Gordon
    Certified Personal Trainer
    Danny Gordon is an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer and Owner of The Body Studio for Fitness, a fitness studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 20 years of physical training and teaching experience, he has focused his studio on semi-private personal training. Danny received his Personal Trainer Certification from the California State University, East Bay and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
    Danny Gordon
    Danny Gordon
    Certified Personal Trainer
    Expert Answer
    Tightness in your chest muscles may be due to an imbalanced workout. Make sure you're working your back, as well as your chest. When you're doing a lot of chest exercises, those muscles will start to tighten up, especially if you're not working the opposing muscles in your back. Eventually, that will lead to an injury.
  • Question
    How do you loosen tight chest muscles?
    Danny Gordon
    Danny Gordon
    Certified Personal Trainer
    Danny Gordon is an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer and Owner of The Body Studio for Fitness, a fitness studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 20 years of physical training and teaching experience, he has focused his studio on semi-private personal training. Danny received his Personal Trainer Certification from the California State University, East Bay and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
    Danny Gordon
    Danny Gordon
    Certified Personal Trainer
    Expert Answer
    Stretch your back and shoulders to open your chest. Shoulder and back stretches will help you overcome tightness in your chest muscles. A scapula retraction will help you stretch your back. That's a stretch where you bring your shoulder blades together behind you, then hold it. To strengthen your upper back, do lat pulldowns. Seated rows, pull-ups, and chin-ups are also great for working your upper back.

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.uptodate.com/contents/image?imageKey=SM%2F129925&topicKey=SM%2F82958&source=see_link
  2. ↑ https://www.uptodate.com/contents/image?imageKey=SM%2F129925&topicKey=SM%2F82958&source=see_link
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NePr1XKRTLU&feature=youtu.be&t=49s
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NePr1XKRTLU&feature=youtu.be&t=57s
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NePr1XKRTLU&feature=youtu.be&t=1m26s
  6. ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-and-flexibility-exercises/strength-and-flex-exercise-plan-how-to-videos/
  7. ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-and-flexibility-exercises/strength-and-flex-exercise-plan-how-to-videos/
  8. ↑ https://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy-living-article/60/5657/5-chest-stretch-variations/
  9. ↑ https://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy-living-article/60/5657/5-chest-stretch-variations/
  1. ↑ https://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy-living-article/60/5657/5-chest-stretch-variations/
  2. ↑ https://www.saintlukeskc.org/health-library/doorway-pectoral-stretch-flexibility
  3. ↑ https://www.saintlukeskc.org/health-library/doorway-pectoral-stretch-flexibility
  4. ↑ https://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy-living-article/60/5657/5-chest-stretch-variations/

About this article

Danny Gordon
Co-authored by:
Danny Gordon
Certified Personal Trainer
This article was co-authored by Danny Gordon. Danny Gordon is an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Personal Trainer and Owner of The Body Studio for Fitness, a fitness studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 20 years of physical training and teaching experience, he has focused his studio on semi-private personal training. Danny received his Personal Trainer Certification from the California State University, East Bay and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). This article has been viewed 491,614 times.
23 votes - 91%
Co-authors: 16
Updated: July 15, 2022
Views: 491,614
Article SummaryX

To perform chest stretches, stand with your feet hip-width apart and interlock your fingers behind your back. Pull your shoulder blades together and push your arms up, holding this position for 30 seconds. Relax, then repeat the stretch. For a sitting stretch, interlock your fingers behind your head and sit up straight. Move your elbows backward and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold this pose for 30 seconds, being careful to keep your neck straight. Do this 3 times to fully stretch your chest. If you want to learn how to do a chest stretch in an open doorway, keep reading the article!

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