Improve Your Posture With These Simple Stretches

Did you know that the muscles in your chest get short and tight when your posture is poor? While your poor back muscles are getting overstretched and complaining the front muscles shrink.  The chest muscles don’t complain; they just get tight.

When you collapse forward you look older and you don’t feel as well.  You can’t breathe as well and all of your organs get squashed, too.

But you can start straightening up right now.  🙂

By stretching those chest muscles you can start getting your shoulders back where they belong and you can improve your posture.

Here are three easy ways to stretch your chest muscles to improve your posture.

1. Butterfly Stretch.  Lie near the edge of your bed.  Let your arm gently drop off edge of bed. (One arm at a time.)

Pretend your arm is a butterfly wing moving from your leg to your head. Turn your palm up while you do this movement, if you can.

You will feel stretching happening  in various places in the upper front of your arm and chest muscles. It’s okay to wait a little while when you feel something stretching to let it stretch.

I love doing exercises like this when laying down because gravity helps you stretch when you are on your back.

2. Doorway Stretch.  Many people like the doorway stretch because you can do it anytime.  Here’s how:  Lean into a doorway with your hands on the door frame. Position one hand on each side of the door frame.

Use three different heights for hand placement on the frame:  hands at hip height, at shoulder height and over your head.

Hold the door frame securely and lean forward. Watch the position of your head–you don’t want to lead with your head. Let your chest lead.

3.  Stretching Video:  And here’s a little video that will help you stretch your chest muscles (click this link)–>:  Stretch Chest Muscles Video.

As your chest muscles become lengthened your shoulders will be able to go back to their correct, neutral position and your posture will improve naturally.