Pectoral Yoga

Slumping over a computer, sitting in your car and too many barbell presses can leave you with a tight chest. Tight pectoral muscles force you into a hunched forward position that prevents optimal posture and can leave you with neck and upper-back pain. Certain yoga poses offer a way to reverse this forward-leaning posture by helping you to stretch the pectorals and strengthen the upper back.

  1. Backbends

    • Any pectoral-focused yoga practice includes backbends. Poses such as Cobra, in which you lie on your belly with your hands under your shoulders and prop open your chest, help strengthen the back while simultaneously opening the chest muscles, the shoulders and the abdomen. Include Bridge pose by lying on your back with your knees bent and lifting your hips to the ceiling as you press down through your feet, arms and back of the head to expand the chest muscles further. Other backbends helpful for opening the chest include Bow pose, Camel and Wheel pose, a full backbend.

    Shoulder Openers

    • The pectoral muscles are responsible for shoulder opening and rotation movements. You can include yoga poses such as Cow Face to open the shoulders and, in turn, address the chest. Sit with your left knee crossed over your right and fold the legs behind you. Then, take your left arm up over head and bend the arm so the hand is in the middle of the back. Reach up and behind your back with your right hand to catch the left wrist – if you can’t quite reach, use a strap to make up the difference. Extended Puppy pose, a hybrid between Child’s pose and Downward-Facing Dog, also opens the chest by stretching the shoulders. Come into an all-fours position and walk your hands forward ahead of your shoulders. Sit your hips down toward your heels as you keep your hands in contact with the mat. Your arms remain active and your head and chest may not quite reach the floor. Try to hold each of these poses for five or more breaths.

    Restorative

    • You can use props in a relaxing restorative yoga class to stretch the pectoral muscles in a passive way. Use a yoga bolster or a rolled-up blanket or towel and lie over it so the entire prop runs up the length of your spine. Relax backward and let your arms hang out to the sides – keep your knees bent or extend the legs long, whichever feels best for your body. Hold this pose for three to five minutes and perform it several times per day. If the stretch is too intense, you can use a thinner blanket to create a gentler experience.

    Standing Poses

    • Standing poses that require you to extend your arms improve mobility and openness in the pectorals. Extended Side Angle pose has you stand in a lunge position with the right leg forward and bent and your right forearm on the thigh or hand on the floor. Your left arm reaches overhead past your ear and you turn your chest to the ceiling to create more a broad stretch. Warrior l pose and Crescent Lunge pose have you reach your arms to the ceiling as you assume a lunge-like position to stretch the shoulders and open the chest.