Chest exercises to improve your facial appearance

Did you know that Regular chest exercises affect not only your posture, but also your well-being and facial appearance? Tension in the chest and neck can be the cause of a double chin, as well as sagging around the jawline and neck wrinkles.

This is why it's worth incorporating exercises into your training routine that will help relax these areas. Regular stretching and strengthening of your chest will provide relief from back pain, but also improve your posture and open up your chest. This, in turn, will translate to better oxygenation of the body and an improved mood. Aesthetic effects are a free bonus.

Here you'll find a short guide to introduce you to the topic, along with instructions from me/my Favourite chest-opening exercises. You can apply them today – completely free of charge, from the comfort of your own home. All you need to do is dedicate just a few minutes to them. I really encourage you to do so!

A constricted chest - what is it and how does it affect your body?

A sunken chest is a condition in which the sternum and rib bones are slightly indented. The chest appears flattened and recessed, and the posture is stooped.

If you are often in this position, you may experience difficulty when fully expanding your lungs. Hunched posture causes your muscles to become less flexible, which affects your posture, but can also lead to chronic fatigue and back pain.

Breathing is shallower, so your body's cells are not well oxygenated. This in turn affects brain function — concentration and mental activity.

It's difficult to feel well and maintain a steady energy level in this situation. This isn't all, however – as I mentioned in the introduction, a closed chest also affects how your face and neck look.

How does a restrictive rib cage affect facial appearance?

Closed chest assists in pulling the face downwards. People who tend to assume a hunched posture, with rounded backs and shoulders slouched forward, may notice a faster change in their facial oval.

A second chin appears, wrinkles on the neck, jowls on the cheeks and sagging on the jawline. The face looks older and tired. I don't think anyone likes that effect.

Here's why you should do chest exercises: * Improved Posture: Stronger chest muscles can help pull your shoulders back, counteracting slouching and improving your overall posture. * Increased Upper Body Strength: Chest exercises are fundamental for building upper body strength, which is useful in many daily activities and sports. * Enhanced Aesthetics: Well-developed chest muscles contribute to a more balanced and athletic physique. * Better Breathing: The pectoral muscles play a role in respiration, so strengthening them can potentially improve breathing capacity. * Injury Prevention: Strengthening the muscles around the chest, shoulders, and upper back can help stabilise the shoulder joint and reduce the risk of injury. * Functional Movement: Many everyday tasks, like pushing, lifting, and carrying, rely on chest strength. * Metabolic Boost: Like any strength training, chest exercises can help increase your metabolism, aiding in fat loss and weight management.

improving breathing
improve the silhouette
reduce a double chin
counteract sagging
they smooth the skin on the décolletage
reduce swelling
support the lymphatic system
back pain reduction (especially in the middle section)

An accessory that will be useful to you during chest exercises

During chest exercises, a useful accessory can be Resistance band. You can buy it online or in a sports shop, or even in a regular supermarket where you do your daily shopping.

This type of resistance band allows for a variety of stretching and strengthening exercises for the chest muscles and arms. It can be used for exercises such as arm extensions to the side or rotational exercises, which help to open up the chest and improve its flexibility.

There are tapes available on the market with different resistances. Some stretch more easily, others with more difficulty. To perform exercises for opening the chest, I recommend a medium resistance band. It is the most versatile and allows for a comfortable workout.

Simple chest exercises with resistance bands

Below I have prepared for you a short list of exercises you can do with the tape. These are simple suggestions that can be performed by anyone - regardless of age.

Before exercising, it's of course a good idea to do a short warm-up, for example, a few arm swings forwards and backwards. Besides that, you only need a little bit of free space and a few minutes of free time.

Exercise number 1: lift the band over your head

Grab the tape and spread it to shoulder-width apart. Move it above your head with your arms straight, so that they form a V shape. Remember to do this according to what your body allows. If your arms are bent initially, that's fine. The important thing is to gradually aim to straighten them.
After a minute, we start to gently stretch the tape and move straight arms back behind head. We stay in this position for about a minute. It’s worth focusing on regular breathing during this time. It’s best to breathe through your nose.
In the next step We are moving our hands even further back.. Meanwhile, we continue to breathe. Until we go down to the floor, sofa, or hip height, if you are doing this exercise standing up.

Chest opening exercises without resistance bands

Exercise number 2: pulling the body upwards

This chest exercise also starts with raising of simple hands above the head. This time, we're not arranging them in a V-shape, but lifting them upwards, keeping the bicep area by the ear.
We hold this position for a minute. We try to straighten and lengthen the silhouette upwards. In the meantime, we can move our fingers.

Exercise number 3: Elbow tucks

Open your hands and Spread your fingers, rest them just behind your ears (with the palm facing forwards). Be careful not to hold your head, or to place weight on it with your hands, but only to gently rest your fingertips on it.
Take a breath, slightly parting your elbows backwards. Pull your shoulder blades back and gently draw your navel inwards. Gently tuck your chin and look down.
Hold this position for a minute or more, breathing throughout.

Exercise number 4: Doorframe exercise

Stand in the open doorway and swing your hands back, Grab the door frame on both sides. Initially you can catch the door frame at about waist height, over time you can move your hands higher.
Straighten your legs and gently lean forward. Hold this position for a minute or longer.
Then change position. Move one leg forward. Keep the back leg straight, with the foot flat on the floor.
In this position, lean your body forwards and hold for a minute or two. Then, switch legs and repeat the exercise.
If you find this exercise difficult, do a smaller range of motion, but remember to keep your whole foot on the floor.

Exercise 5: moving your hands apart and closer together

Bend your arms at the elbows and Arrange them into two L-shapes. Then, alternately Lock them and open them, bringing your elbows towards the centre and then out.
After a minute, change direction and move your bent arms. Up and down.
This type of exercise not only opens the chest but also improves blood circulation and lymphatic flow.

All the exercises I've described here, you can watch in this film. I explain them in detail and show them step by step:

Of course, these are just sample chest exercises. I chose these in particular because I do them most often during my daily activity. As soon as I have a moment. You don't need a gym. Just pause for a moment as you move from room to room and dedicate 2-3 minutes to your body.

Resistance band exercises are great as a break during work at your desk or on the go. Such an accessory doesn't take up much space, you can keep it handy and use it in your free time, benefiting your body and face.

If you find this type of advice interesting, I encourage you to subscribe my YouTube channel, where simple instructions with exercises that take care of health, wellbeing and beauty in a holistic way appear regularly.