Tight chest? Here's how to actually stretch it out

Have a tight chest after trying out some super-tough fly finishers for your upper body session?

Make some time to get down on the ball to release everything you've pent up during your workouts and daily life.

"It’s that weird part of the body that nobody truly knows how to stretch," she says. "[It can be] even weirder to ask somebody to give you a chest massage." Her solution: Take care of your chest yourself with some self-myofascial release (SMR) action and roll away that tightness.

To perform the movement, you'll need an SMR ball (a standard lacrosse ball works just as well). If you don't have any handy, check out this set from Gillsun Fitness.

Lay on your belly, then place the ball in the top corner of your chest (below your collarbone, about two finger-tip lengths from your armpit).
Rest your head on your opposite hand. Take the hand on the same side as the ball and place it behind your back.
Relax the arm/elbow.
Start by taking deep breaths, then graduate to slow side to side movements, massaging the ball into the chest.

Another option is to extend your same side arm out to the side at varying angles for different releases. Try adding the chest release to your recovery regimen with 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 30 seconds at a time.

Want to learn more from Atkins? Check out our series full of her tips, Try Her Move.