Chest stretches are mandatory for any athlete or person wanting their body to feel good. The reason it is particularly hard to keep the chest feeling good is that of the amount of time we spend sitting down in front of the computer and on our phones today. Looking down at screens closes down the entire front side of our body. The only way to reverse this is with treatment and daily chest stretches. If you are not doing the stretches, you will eventually start developing back pain, shoulder pain and see a decrease in athletic performance.
Symptoms of a Tight Chest
When a chest is tight, it can be problematic when mixed with stress. It can cause the sternum to have quite a bit of pain. The feeling my envoke anxiety in some because it can make you think you are having a heart attack or something that can be fatal. The best thing you can do to avoid this is stretch daily because stretching can reduce anxiety and increase chest flexibility.
Symptoms of Tight Chest
- Trouble putting hands above heard
- Trouble throwing
- Shoulders rolled forward
- Sternum pain
- Tight muscle fibers across the chest
Why The Chest Needs to Be Stretched Daily
The chest plays a considerable role in the feeling of well being. The chest covers the heart and the rib cage so when the muscles feel tight, it can make you feel like a lot of things are going wrong. It plays a significant role in everyday movement and an even more significant role in the athletic movement. Pitchers usually will not bench press due to fear of restricting their throwing arm.
The other problem with the chest is that it is one of the most popular muscles to work in the gym with pushups and bench press. Since the tissue is worked so much, it tends to be tight. If not stretched daily it just gets tighter and tigher pulling the shoulders forward. Once the shoulders are pulled forward the upper back becomes stressed, the hips rotate and the potential for injuries increases.
Best Chest Stretches
Chest Stretch – Stand and Reach
- Stand tall
- Reach hands above head as high as you possibly can
- Lean back slightly
- Stretches the front side of the body
Chest Stretches – Human Basket
- Do not do this stretch if you have lower back issues
- Grab ankles and pull on feet to lift upper body off of the ground
- Stretches the hips, chest, and abs
Chest Stretches – Wrestlers Bridge
- Start laying on back and put hands in position to lift the body off of the ground
- Try and get your belly button as high as possible
- Make sure fingers tips are pointing towards toes
- Intense stretch for the front line
Chest Stretches – Lying Chest Stretches
- Stretches the chest, shoulders, and biceps which create the arm line
- Key is to keep palm as flat as possible for fascial reasons
- Stretch should be done on a daily basis or after sitting for long periods of time
What if The Chest Stretches Do Not Work?
One thing to keep in mind is that you will not fix your chest problem overnight. You did not create the problem in one day so it will not be fixed in one day either. You will need to do these stretches daily for a week to start noticing a big difference. If you are incredibly tight, it may take even longer.
In some cases, stretching will not be enough, and you will need the help of a professional. The best thing you can do in this case is getting help right away. You do not want to go to a typical medical doctor though because this is a musculoskeletal injury so they will not have much advice for you. You need to see people that specialize in muscle issue and preferably work with athletes on a regular basis. That is how you will get the fastest relief.
Types of Providers that Can Help
- Physical Therapist
- Acupuncturists
- Chiropractor
- Registered Dietitian
- Sports Physician
- Massage Therapist
- Holistic Healthcare providers
How to Find The Best Healthcare Providers for Trap Pain
9INE POINT Health is the best way to find local providers that can help you with your chest and any other pain points. The reason is that 9INE POINT Health lets you search for healthcare providers based on the type of practitioner as well as the skillset. Let’s say you want to work with a massage therapist, but you also want someone who has fascial stretching abilities, you can find the best local option on 9INE POINT Health. You can then sift through the different options and compare 9INE POINT Numbers before making a choice.
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
