Stretch Spotlight! Dr. Edward Chan – Chiropractor

Welcome to “Stretch of the Month”! A new year, a fresh start and let’s help ease poor posture from the recent rise in sitting (work and school from home).

What is this stretch? The Pectoralis Stretch stretches the pectoralis muscles that connect the upper front chest region to the shoulders.

Why do this stretch? Prolonged sitting and working on a compact laptop keyboard may lead to rolling in (forward) your shoulders, your head and neck sticking forward, and rounding of the mid-back. Over time, this can lead to strain, fatigue, and even pain. Also, by doing this, you will support your posture by standing and moving away from your work station.

How to do this stretch? Before starting any, make sure you don’t have any injuries that prevent you from doing it effectively and you don’t have any medical conditions or risks that contraindicate you performing it. There are 2 variations, try them both and see which one works for you and your environment.

Door frame pectoralis (pec) stretch. Stand at a normal-sized door frame with one foot slightly past the threshold. Please both forearms against the door frame with the elbows at shoulder level and gently lean forward. You should feel  it without pain around the upper chest and shoulder region. Hold for 20 seconds with breathing. Do not aggressively push or bounce. Relax, switch feet and repeat the stretch 2-3 times. You can try different forearm and elbow positions, either below or above the shoulders.

If you don’t have a door frame, then try using a corner, stepping one foot forward, and placing each forearm or hand on the adjacent walls.

Note: stop if there is pain, and don’t do it to produce any pain or discomfort. Stretching to be gentle and relaxing.

So let’s prevent tech back and start living a healthier you! book an appointment with us today