04/24/2026
Save this tutorial for your next stretch break!
As a massage therapist, one of the most common focus areas I hear clients request is the upper back. More often than not, the tension they feel in the back is actually coming from tight, shortened muscles in the front of the body, particularly the pectoral or chest muscles. Hunching over our phones and computers pulls our shoulders forward, putting constant tension on the muscles in the back like the trapezius and rhomboids.
Put the phone down, close your computer, and try this stretch to open the chest!
I add the extra finger hook technique here because I feel a little more stretch for the connective tissue, and it helps develop my proprioception! That's just a fancy word to describe the body's ability to sense its own location, movements, and actions in space. This mind-body connection can be notoriously difficult to feel for the chest muscles, so try this and see if you have a better sense of proprioception for your pecs! You can also just relax the free arm by your side if you don't like it, and you'll still get a great stretch.
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➡️ If you're in Charleston and you've been working hard all week, it's time to take care of your body with a massage. Booking link in my bio.