Tight chest from desk work? One move that opens it up

Stiffness of the chest and thoracic spine can cause different pains, and in this video I'm going to give you a few examples of exercises you can use to ease your symptoms. I cover a few rotation-direction exercises and a few extension-direction exercises. If you don't have any trauma in the background, you don't have night pain, and the symptoms have been present for a longer period, then this video is for you. If you have chest issues along with those symptoms, it's recommended to visit a doctor.

Typical chest stiffness is felt during upper body movement or with deep inhales, and in exercises it's good to focus on the stiffest structures - you want to get rid of that stiffness and also get symmetrical movement in rotation in the long run. Once you get the areas open, and there is homogeneous movement present, then versatile exercise is the best way to prevent this kind of issue. Risk factors in the background are physical passivity and prolonged postures.

Let's start with the "dropping hood" movement. You can put a few pillows under the bent leg - the aim is to have a 90-degree angle at the hip, which blocks some movement from the lumbar spine; when the lumbar spine is blocked, we get more movement into the thoracic spine. If you feel that a static posture is bad for the neck, you can put a pillow under the head too. Try the movement on both sides - if there is a restriction present, focus on that. You can also try rotating your body up or downwards with your hand in the same position, or do an "around the world" move where the hand starts to go up above the head, and during the movement you open the palm towards the ceiling.

If you want to get some movement into your chest during the workday, elevate your chair so that the hip is much higher compared to the knee joint, place your hand in front of your torso and tilt your chin slightly down - you want to have your nose pointing horizontally - then start pushing one hand forward and pulling the other backward. Maintain a relaxed posture to keep the shoulder areas relaxed, and keep your head facing forward the whole time.

For extension movement, you can cross your fingers behind your neck, lean forward and rest your elbows on a desk or wall, then start pushing your sternum straight forward - you should feel movement between the shoulder blades. If you want to increase the range of motion, inhale while going forward and exhale when coming back.

In supine you can use a ball across your back to get movement into a really small area - always put the ball right next to the spinous process, not under it (that bony prominence you can feel underneath the skin) - then you can move up or downwards with your pelvis. The purpose here is to get the ball right under the restricted area, then do movement with the arms, keeping your neck relaxed, and start moving your hand right next to your head into flexion. You can also do good mobilization here with inhaling and exhaling - during inhaling you go up, and exhaling you come down. Find the stiffness point and do the pain-free mobilization for a few minutes with whichever exercise feels good, two, three or four times per day.

If you're not able to get that stiff area open, I suggest going to a manually-oriented physiotherapist. ---