Spending long hours hunched over a desk or squeezed into a car can leave your muscles sore and tight? While you might think that your shoulders feel strain, you'll likely feel aches in other parts of your body also which includes your chest muscles.
o you often feel stiffness in your chest area? If yes, then it could be for simple reasons that can be fixed easily with a few yoga stretches, however, you must know the right ones. We have put together the best yoga poses in this article that can stretch and open up your chest muscles providing solace to them. Chest pain doesn’t necessarily mean a heart ailment. It could occur for a simple reason like sitting hunched on a chair for long hours. If not fixed at the right time, the problem will grow to a major one causing unnecessary difficulties. Before that can happen, set it with the following yoga poses for chest pain.
Any significant and sudden chest pain should be evaluated by a physician to rule out any cardiac events. You can loosen your chest muscles with a few soothing yoga positions.
What Actually Causes Chest Pain?
There can be numerous reasons for causing chest pain. You can feel it anywhere from your neck to your upper abdomen. Chest tightness often occurs due to poor posture but could also be a sign of something more serious like a panic or a heart attack.
If you feel an ache in your chest area, it might not necessarily be a cardiovascular disease. Or it could be. When your heart muscles do not get enough oxygen, it gives rise to a severe form of chest pain called angina. Other heart-related chest pains are a heart attack, pericarditis, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy and aortic dissection.
Chest pain occurs due to gastrointestinal problems too. If you have swallowing problems, gallstones, inflammation of the gallbladder or pancreas, then you will feel pain in the chest. Even if you have pneumonia, asthma or blood clots, it leads to chest ache. Chest pain also occurs when you suffer from a fracture that causes pressure on the nerves. Damaged ribs and sore muscles from extreme exertion are also main factors causing chest ache.
Yoga For The Chest
You must get a physician to evaluate any sudden chest pain you feel and get checked for heart problems. If that’s not the case, then you can soothe your chest muscles with yoga. Yoga helps in reducing chest tightness by opening, expanding and stretching the chest. It counters the effects of poor posture, overuse, and strain of muscles, by fixing the cause of the problem. Yoga improves your range of motion, stretches your pectoral muscles, improves your flexibility which all aid in eradicating your chest pain. Sometimes, even stress, anxiety and tension can cause chest pain, and you know well that yoga is the best solution for it.
Matsyasana or the Fish Pose
Matsyasana or the Fish Pose is named after the Matsya avatar of Lord Vishnu. It is a beginner level Hatha yoga asana. Practice it in the morning on an empty stomach for best results and hold the pose for at least 30 to 60 seconds to feel the pose effect.
Benefits- Matsyasana stretches your rib muscles. It also stretches the front and back of your neck and improves your posture. It is therapeutic for rounded-shoulders and relieves irritation.
Bhujangasana or the Cobra Pose
Bhujangasana or the Cobra Pose is an asana that resembles the raised hood of a cobra. It is a backbend. The pose is a beginner level Ashtanga yoga asana. Practice it in the morning on an empty stomach and hold the pose for 15 to 30 seconds.
Benefits- Bhujangasana stretches the muscles of your chest and shoulders. It increases your flexibility and improves your mood. The pose improves blood and oxygen circulation.
Bitilasana or the Cow Pose
Bitilasana or the Cow Pose is an asana that resembles the stance of a cow. The Sanskrit word ‘Bitila’ means cow. Bitilasana is a beginner level Vinyasa yoga asana. Practice it in the morning or evening on an empty stomach and hold the pose for 10 to 15 seconds.
Benefits- Bitilasana improves your posture and balance by strengthening your neck and stretching your back. The pose calms your mind and relieves stress. It also increases the blood circulation in the body.
Chakrasana or the Wheel Pose
Chakrasana or the Wheel Pose is an asana that looks like a wheel. It is also an important step in acrobatics. Chakrasana is a beginner level Ashtanga yoga asana. Practice it in the morning on an empty stomach and hold the pose for 1 to 5 minutes.
Benefits- The pose is good for your heart and cures asthma. It stretches your lungs and stimulates the thyroid. It cures depression and relieves stress and tension in the body.
Last Words
Chest pain varies from person to person and the level of it could be sharp or a dull ache. It might be a minor issue that can easily be fixed or a major ailment that needs professional help. Figure out what kind it is and take the appropriate action. If the cause of your chest pain is not life-threatening, then the yoga poses mentioned above work best. Give them a try and don’t forget to comment below to add some valuable suggestions to this article.