Elbows-back chest opener
Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.
Draw your elbows back behind you to open your chest and the front of your shoulders.
- Main focus
- Flexibility
- Level
- Starting
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Load
- Your body weight
- Stability
- Free: you control the whole movement
Before you start
- Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
- Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
- Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
- Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.
Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.
What you need
A clear spot. Do it seated if you prefer.
How to do it
- Stand or sit tall. Place your hands on your lower back, fingers pointing down, elbows out to the sides.
- Gently draw your elbows back and toward each other, as far as is comfortable.
- Hold, and breathe.
- Let go slowly.
How much
To start: Hold 5 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
As it gets easier: Hold 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
How it should feel: A gentle opening across the front of your chest.
Make it easier
- Draw your elbows back only a little.
Make it harder
- Hold a few seconds longer.
Safety
- Do not force your elbows together.
- Keep your neck relaxed and your chin level.
When to stop
- Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
- Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
- Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
- Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
- After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
- You feel pinching or sharp pain in a shoulder.
- Your arms or hands tingle or go numb.
Connected exercises
- Seated chest stretch · A similar way
Other ways to do this movement
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Where this comes from
NIA: stretch warm muscles, keep breathing, do not stretch so far it hurts. Name and movement from the screened catalog entry; the text and the holding times are Fitafter50's own, kept short on purpose.
- Three Types of Exercise Can Improve Your Health and Physical Ability, National Institute on Aging, NIH (Content reviewed Jan. 14, 2025).
- Sitting exercises, NHS (England) (Last reviewed 18 Jan 2024).
This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.