Focus area
Chest
The chest muscles across the front of your torso. Push-ups and bench presses — or long hours hunched forward — leave the chest tight, with a stretched feeling on deep breaths.
Doorway chest stretch
Seated chest stretch
Wall push-up
More actions in this plan
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More stretches for this area
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Why this area gets sore
A few muscles in this area are especially prone to tightening up and aching. Match your symptoms below to figure out which one is talking to you.
Pectoralis major
The broad "door panel" of muscle across your chest. Push-ups and bench presses leave it swollen and sore — tight near the sternum when you raise your arms or breathe deep, and tender to press.
Serratus anterior
The finger-like slips of muscle along the side of your ribs. The last reps of push-ups, boxing or throwing leave the side of your ribs aching toward the armpit, sharper on a deep breath in.
See a doctor if any of these apply
Stretching helps everyday muscle soreness. If any of the following sounds like you, it may be more than tired muscles — donât push through:
- Pain radiating from your arm or leg down into your fingers or toes, or with numbness and weakness
- The soreness started after a fall, impact or other injury, or the area is visibly swollen
- It hasnât improved after a week, or it wakes you up at night
- It comes with fever, chest tightness, dizziness, or loss of bladder or bowel control
- The pain is severe enough to stop normal movement, or you canât bear any force on it