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About This Video
After decades of reaching forward for daily tasks — driving, cooking, typing, and reading — the pectoral muscles progressively shorten and pull the shoulders into a rounded position. This age-related postural change, known as thoracic kyphosis, accelerates after 50 as the tissue becomes less elastic and the forward pull becomes self-reinforcing. Shortened pectorals compress the rib cage and reduce breathing capacity, restrict shoulder mobility for overhead tasks, and contribute to the stooped appearance that many people mistakenly accept as an inevitable part of aging. Rolling the chest directly opposes this pattern by restoring tissue length and mobility to muscles that rarely get the attention they need.
How to Perform This Technique
Lay the foam roller down on the mat in front of you, parallel with your body.
Lower yourself so your chest is on the roller, starting with the roller near your shoulder.
Roll slowly inward across your chest toward your pectorals, searching for any spots of tenderness — just one inch at a time.
When you find a tender spot, pause and hold on it before continuing to roll.
Keep the movement nice and slow throughout, scanning the chest muscles for areas of tension.
Breathe with the rolling movement. Control the pressure by using your hands or knees on the ground to reduce intensity as needed.
Breathe into the pressure so the muscles can relax, then continue searching back and forth until all tension has released from your pectorals.
Benefits
Pro Tip: Watch this video in conjunction with our product guide for the best results. Take your time with each technique and listen to your body.
Video Details
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Guides and answers on 321strong.com that cover this exact movement.