Pectoral Muscle Stretch - I must, I must, I must increase my bust!

Your pectoral muscle group actually consists of 2 muscles located on your chest: Pectoralis Major and Pectoralis Minor. These muscles can contribute a lot to postural changes if they become too tight. Let's take a closer look at these muscles to better understand their functions and then discuss how to stretch them.

Pectoralis Major is the larger and more superficial of the two pectoral muscles. It's thick and fan shaped, and is responsible for a variety of actions. Its actions are as follows:

1. Flexion of humerus (when your arm raises forward, such as when bowling)
2. Horizontal + vertical adduction and extension of humerus (flapping your arms like a chicken)
3. Internal rotation of humerus (like when you're trying to win at arm wrestling)
4. Keeps your arm attached to the trunk of your body 

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Pectoralis major has an attachment at the clavicle (collar bone) which allows for flexion of the humerus

The attachment at the sternum (the big bone in the middle your chest) allows for adduction of the humerus

The sternum attachment also allows for internal rotation of the humerus

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Pectoralis Minor is the smaller chest muscle that lies just underneath pectoralis major. It's thin and fan shaped and has two main actions:

1. Raises ribs during inspiration (breathing in)
2. Stabilizes the the shoulder blade anteriorly and inferiorly against the thoracic wall

Pectoralis minor attaches along the front of the upper ribs allowing it to aid in inspiration by elevating the ribcage to allow more air to be drawn into the lungs

The other attachment of pectoralis minor is at the coracoid process (a hook-like bone projecting out from the upper front portion of the shoulder blade), this allows the muscle to stabilize the shoulder against the back of the ribcage

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So why is it so important to stretch your pectoralis major and minor?? Well, when your pectoral muscles are too tight then they pull your arms and shoulders forward (think slouchy hunchback styles). Overly tight pectoral muscles contributes to Upper Cross Syndrome, which is a combination of muscle imbalances and poor posture from spinal misalignments.

​This is a common occurrence for students who slouch during class and are hunched over during study sessions, and also common for people with desk jobs and other keyboard warriors who sit hunched forward staring at computer screens for hours on end. This poor posture places a lot of extra stress on your neck, upper back and spine - ouch! 

Since you now know why stretching the pectorals is so important, let's review a few simple stretches to loosen them up!

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1. ​Stand in the middle of an open doorway and place hands and elbows at the same height on either side of the doorway
2. Lean your body forward letting gravity take you deeper into the stretch
3. Focus on pushing your chest forward while simultaneously bringing your shoulder blades together at the back
4. Locate and target your tighter pectoral muscle fibres by changing the height of your arms to feel where you get the best stretch

If you can't get your elbows to reach the sides of the doorway, just have your hands and as much of your forearms as you can get on either side of the doorway instead

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1. Start by standing perpendicular to a wall with your arm fully straight to your side
2. With an open palm and fingers pointing up, press your hand flat against the wall
3. Lean into your hand so that some of your weight is being supported by the wall
4. Now pivot your feet 45 degrees away from the wall
5. Pivot your hips so they are square and in line with your feet and legs
6. Now follow through and pivot your shoulders and torso so they are also square and in line with your hips, legs and feet

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1. Find an empty corner where the walls form a right angle
2. Start with hands up and elbows and arms at 90 degrees
3. Place your forearms at even heights on either side of the walls
4. Slide your arms down the wall as your lower yourself into a lunging posture
5. Keep your back upright and perpendicular to the floor
6. Gently push your body forward by using your back leg to drive your torso forward

This same stretch can be performed in an open doorway as well

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1. Stand facing a wall with one arm straight out to your side (as if you're trying to hug the wall with that arm)
2. Move forward so that you're pressing your whole arm, hand and shoulder against the wall
3. Start to slowly pivot your torso away while ensuring that you keep your whole arm in contact with the wall
4. Continue to slowly pivot away until you can feel the stretch in your pectorals
   

You can try this stretch with your arm against the wall at different angles to stretch different pectoral muscle fibres. Try it with your arm angled about 30 degrees lower and then try again with 30 degrees higher and you should be able to feel the difference

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None of the stretches shown should cause any numbness, tingling, pain or discomfort. If you feel any of those aforementioned messages from your body during your stretch, please stop and consult your Chiropractor, it might be time to have your spine checked. Click HERE to make an appointment.

Remember to keep breathing as you stretch! If you notice yourself holding your breath, you might be forcing the stretch too much and should probably ease off a touch. You should find that you're able to stretch further when you relax into the stretch. It just takes a bit of mindfulness, practice and consistency to stretch properly.

Be consistent and try out these pectoral stretches a few times each day to really feel the difference it can make!

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Thrive Chiropractic
214 Wellington Street
Kingston, ON
K7K 2Y7
(613) 217-1560