#9 And Stretch

And stretch... yet another way to take a break from the screen and devices.

Follow my instructions to open up your chest, shoulders, and thoracic spine with this stretch.

There is nothing fancy about this, but done regularly, it will prevent muscle constriction around the chest.

There are three principles:

1. Hold for at least 2 minutes on each side (time under tension).
2. Breathe to relax. Inhale through your nose for 4 counts, then exhale through your mouth for 8 counts (to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and turn off the stretch reflex).
3. Relax into the stretch as much as you can (like a wet noodle).