Seated Shoulder Flexor Depressor Retractor Stretch

Shoulder, Back, and Chest Stretches:

Method:
Sit on the floor with the legs straight. While keeping the arms straight, place the palms (with the fingers pointed backward) on the floor about one foot (30 cm) behind the hips. While keeping the arms straight, lean backward toward the floor.

Affected Body Part:
Most-stretched muscles: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, coracobrachialis, biceps brachii, pectoralis minor.
Lesser-stretched muscles: Latissimus dorsi, lower trapezius, subclavius, rhomboids.

To maximize the stretch, keep the arms straight. If it is difficult to refrain from bending the arms, place the hands closer to the hips. Moving the hands farther from the hips can increase the stretch. To keep the body from sliding along the floor, you may need to brace the soles of the feet against a wall. Sitting on a mat with the hands placed on a hard surface will increase the stretch as well as add comfort.