Tight pectoralis muscles can lead to a variety of issues. If the proper length of these chest muscles is not maintained, it can lead to abnormal shoulder mechanics, rounded posture and ultimately stress to the upper spine. Significant tightness to these muscles can also lead to compression of the blood flow and neural structures that travel across the front of the shoulder.
There are multiple ways to stretch the chest muscles. One that I utilize most is the supine pec stretch, either on a platform (as pictured below) or foam roller. The arms are dropped outward using gravitational pull to bring you into a sustained stretch. It’s important to vary your arm position from a “Y” to “T” as well as arms dropped by your side. This will allow you to isolate the various portions of the muscles. If you experience discomfort, pain or tingling sensation, stop and drop the arms closer to the body. Palms remain facing up throughout each portion of the stretch.
I also utilize the time during this particular stretch to engage the core muscles by pulling the navel downward toward the spine. Lastly, these moments of stretching can also be a time to focus on deep breathing and meditation. Try it for at least 5 min at the start and end of each day.
