Experiencing a tightness in your chest can be uncomfortable at best, and debilitating at worst. (Does it take anyone else’s breath away?) That discomfort extends to your mental health, too, since it can lead to anxiety—after all, your chest is where your heart is, and I’m *not* trying to have a heart problem.

According to Kelsey Decker, NSCA-CPT, the education coordinator for StretchLab, distinguishing between pain and discomfort is crucial. “When we experience muscle tightness from a workout, typically it can feel crampy or sore to touch or move,” she explains. “When we are tight from lack of movement, your muscles can feel tight or stiff and you can experience poor posture.”

But if your pain is sharp, she says, you should talk to a medical professional.

“If it’s a new onset of chest pain, always take it seriously and consult your doctor,” adds Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, a Pilates instructor and owner of Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy. She notes two issues that can’t be resolved with stretching: a heart attack (signs: a feeling of heartburn that doesn’t resolve; shortness of breath; sweating; radiating pain to your left shoulder, jaw, or back) and anxiety (signs: chest pain or heaviness).

But if your tight chest muscles are just that—meaning, from a workout or lack of movement, not a health problem—these stretches can help.

You’ll notice several of these stretches have to do with your posture and shoulders in some way. That's because your chest and shoulders can become tight from poor posture and sitting for long periods.

As far as safety precautions to take with these, note your pain and medical history. “If you feel any joint pain, you may be pushing too far into the stretch,” Dr. Jeffcoat says. “If you have a history of an anterior shoulder dislocation, do not do these exercises before consulting with your doctor or physical therapist.”

You can do this one seated or while standing—whatever is more comfortable for you. It stretches both your lats and your chest. “Now, the lats are on the side of your body, but expanding areas around your chest can help release tension felt in your chest and improve overall posture,” Decker says.

This stretch is “good for reducing forward pull on the neck and shoulders, and allowing for more upright posture,” says Dr. Jeffcoat. It stretches many muscles, including your pectorals, serratus anterior, subscapularis, rectus abdominis muscles, and anterior fascial line of the body and arms.

If you want a relaxed stretch, check this one out. “There is minimal work involved, and it is encouraged to take deep breaths to help release tension and increase overall blood flow and oxygen to the muscles,” Decker explains.

Similar to the passive doorway stretch, this one is “good for reducing forward pull on the neck and shoulders, and reducing internal rotation of the head of the humerus (pulling forward at the shoulder joint), and allowing for more upright posture,” Dr. Jeffcoat says.

This one targets the posterior deltoid (back of the shoulder), and the infraspinatus and teres minor (the muscles around the scapula), Decker says. These help with shoulder rotation and release chest tension, especially if your shoulders are rounded.

Not only does this position reduce that forward pull of your shoulders, but it also allows for unrestricted reach behind your body (and stretches the shoulder muscles), Dr. Jeffcoat says.

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