Doorway chest stretch

Upper back & chest · Standing · about 50 seconds · Updated 22 October 2026

The doorway chest stretch uses a door frame: with both forearms on the frame at shoulder height, you step one foot through and lean gently until you feel a stretch across the front of the chest and shoulders. Hold for about 20 seconds, then again with the other foot forward.

How to do the doorway chest stretch

1. Forearms on the door frame, elbows at shoulder height.
2. Step one foot through (the other foot for the second hold).
3. Lean forward until you feel a gentle chest stretch.

What it works

• Chest
• Front of shoulders

How long and how often

In a movement break it's a 20-second hold on each side, about 50 seconds in total, and it can come up in the “Neck & shoulders”, “Upper back & chest” and “Full-body reset” classes. It's meant to be repeated through the day in short breaks rather than done once; doing it regularly matters more than the exact timing.

Tips

• Shoulders away from your ears
• Small lean only
• Mild stretch, never pain

Who should skip it

• Shoulder dislocation or instability
• Poor balance or a fall risk: choose a seated move instead (Moveful does this for you when it's ticked in the health check)

Move gently, in a comfortable range. Stop if you feel sharp pain, numbness, tingling or dizziness.