Your pectoralis muscles sit at the front of your chest and attach from your chest bone (sternum) to the front of your shoulder. The pectoralis muscles help in some shoulder movements. There are actually 2 pectoralis muscles: the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. 

This stretch is great for people who spend a lot of time hunched forward – such as at a desk, cooking, cleaning, bending forward to work on something such as a painter, builder, or bending down to young kids or even breastfeeding.

All you need is your body and a door frame!

Put one elbow against the door frame at 90 degrees (scarecrow position), turn your chest away from that arm until you feel a stretch. This will stretch your pectoralis major muscle. If you want to stretch pectoralis minor, try bringing your elbow slightly higher up the door frame. 

Want to maximise your time? - Try both sides at once! Have both elbows against the door frame and just lean forward until feel a stretch

Hold stretches for 10-20 seconds and repeat 3 times. 

This is general advice. For individualised advice please see you trusted health professional 

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Dr Mariella Berry (Osteopath)

BSC (Osteopathy), MHSc (Osteopathy)