Stretching, Why Not? Part 3-2

Today’s stretches are for the shoulders and chest.

Warning: There is risk of injury when stretching. If you don’t understand these instructions please do not try to figure out how to do the stretches. Warm up your muscles before you try these stretches (something like some light jogging in place or after a hot shower will suffice). Do these stretches slowly and carefully and stop at the slightest hint of pain.

Shoulder Stretch: Our shoulders can frequently get sore because we are constantly using are arms. Poor posture and improper lifting techniques can also add to pain in the shoulders. Before doing this stretch do some slow rotations of your arms to get your shoulders loosened up a little bit.
1. Place your left palm on your right elbow.
2. With your right palm facing toward you, slowly reach your right arm across your body bringing you right elbow toward your left shoulder.
3. When you feel a slight pull in the back of your shoulder hold your arm in position there for 20 seconds.
4. Relax and then switch to stretch the left shoulder. Repeat twice on each side holding for 20 seconds each time.


Chest stretch: Tightness in the upper chest where our shoulder muscles connect to the chest muscles may not be something you commonly feel. But it is important to maintain flexibility in that area to help us feel comfortable standing upright with good posture.
1. Find a door way and stand with your right shoulder lined up with the edge of the door.
2. Place your palm and forearm flat against the wall (the part of the wall where you would typically find the light switches) and make sure your elbow is forming a 90-degree angle. So you are now standing with your right arm against the wall and you are looking through the doorway.
3. Make sure you are standing up nice and straight and slowly take a small step with your right foot through the doorway keeping your hand and forearm against the wall. As you move forward you will feel a slight pull in your chest and the front of your shoulder. When you feel this stretch hold it for 20 seconds.
4. Relax and then switch sides to stretch the left side of your chest and your left shoulder. Repeat twice on each side holding for 20 seconds each time.

Remember take it slowly with these stretches. You may find that you don’t really feel a whole lot but that’s ok. It may be that you already have some flexibility in these areas and that’s great. It may also take some time for you to get used to how your body responds to stretching, as you do it you will get a feel for how best to push yourself. There is no quick fix when it comes to flexibility, it takes regularity and time to produce results so don’t try to rush it.