Most of us are hunched forward toward our computer screens, televisions and cell phones every day. And most of us stretch our legs and back, but forget our chests. This affects posture and back muscle pain. I found a good page of some chest stretches. See the link below.
I recently had an experienced Mercer Street NYSC personal trainer stretch my chest. He used something that is a great idea: a Swiss ball! I placed my hands behind my head while he went behind me and pulled back on my elbows as I exhaled, with the Swiss ball between us! This allowed for my back muscles like rhomboids and trapezius to widen out and then go back, this followed by my pecs doing the same -- widening and then stretching back. This made the difference; I got a good stretch. Then, as when I do the same stretch for clients but use my knee (not on their spine) instead of a ball, he told me he'd stretch me further and I exhaled prior to prepare.
If someone is flexible and wants to stretch their back, using a Swiss ball on the floor and stretching back over it or placing their 90-degree-bent arm against the wall and stretching away from it will not be as much of an effective chest stretch as what he did with me.
Other stretches are best done with a partner. I will post more at another time. Let me know how you feel if you try these stretches!
http://www.wikihow.com/Perform-Chest-Stretches
I recently had an experienced Mercer Street NYSC personal trainer stretch my chest. He used something that is a great idea: a Swiss ball! I placed my hands behind my head while he went behind me and pulled back on my elbows as I exhaled, with the Swiss ball between us! This allowed for my back muscles like rhomboids and trapezius to widen out and then go back, this followed by my pecs doing the same -- widening and then stretching back. This made the difference; I got a good stretch. Then, as when I do the same stretch for clients but use my knee (not on their spine) instead of a ball, he told me he'd stretch me further and I exhaled prior to prepare.
If someone is flexible and wants to stretch their back, using a Swiss ball on the floor and stretching back over it or placing their 90-degree-bent arm against the wall and stretching away from it will not be as much of an effective chest stretch as what he did with me.
Other stretches are best done with a partner. I will post more at another time. Let me know how you feel if you try these stretches!
http://www.wikihow.com/Perform-Chest-Stretches
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