Stretch guide · Chest and posture

Doorway chest stretch: how to do it

An easy way to open a tight chest and the front of the shoulders after hours hunched over a desk or a phone. All you need is a doorway.

30 seconds each arm
Beginner
Chest and front of the shoulder
Standing in a doorway

How to do it

Stand in a doorway. Stand side-on to one edge of the doorframe, close enough to touch it.
Place your forearm on the frame. Bend your elbow to a right angle, with your elbow at shoulder height and your forearm flat against the frame.
Step through. Take a small step forward with the foot on the same side, keeping your forearm where it is.
Lean gently. Let your chest move forward and turn slightly away from the arm until you feel a stretch across your chest and the front of your shoulder.
Hold, then swap. Keep your shoulders down and breathe slowly for about 30 seconds, then step back and repeat with the other arm.

Doorway Chest Stretch in Stretch 3D, part of the Posture Reset routine.

What it stretches

Holding your arm back against the frame while your body moves forward stretches the large chest muscle, the smaller muscle beneath it, and the front of the shoulder. These shorten when you spend a lot of time with your arms in front of you and your shoulders rounded.

Changing the height of your elbow changes which part of the chest you feel most. At shoulder height is the usual starting point; a little higher reaches the lower part of the chest.

Main muscles: Pectoralis majorPectoralis minorFront deltoid
Where you feel it: Across the chest and the front of the shoulder

How often to do it

Once or twice a day is plenty, and it works well as a desk break. It takes under two minutes for both sides.

Pair it with shoulder rolls to loosen the shoulders first, then open the chest.

Every dayOnce or twice
30 secondsEach arm
Desk breaksAfter long screen sessions

In the app: Posture Reset routine, and free to try in the stretch library

Common mistakes

Elbow too high

Raising the elbow well above the shoulder can pinch the front of the joint. Start at shoulder height.

Arching your back

Don't push your ribs forward to go deeper. Keep your stomach lightly braced and lean from the ankles.

Shrugging

Keep the shoulder of the stretching arm down and away from your ear.

Lunging too far

A small step is enough. A big lunge puts strain on the shoulder rather than stretching the chest.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

Take a smaller step, or none at all.
Place your hand on the frame lower down, with a straighter arm.
Do one arm at a time and keep the stretch light.

Harder

Put both forearms on either side of the doorway and lean through with both at once.
Try the elbow a little higher or lower to find other parts of the chest.
Follow it with the Posture Reset routine in the app.

Look after yourselfThis guide is for general fitness and flexibility, not medical advice. Keep the stretch comfortable, and stop if you feel pain in the shoulder, or tingling or numbness down your arm. If you have had a shoulder dislocation or injury, check with a health professional first.