Arms Akimbo

Following a straining jog or run, we tend to rest with our arms akimbo (hands on hips, with elbows facing outwards), as seen in this picture.

How does this help?

After the exercise, our body would be desperate to breathe as much as it possibly can. Standing this way actually causes a muscle in our chest to pull on our rib cage and lift it up.

As seen in the diagram, the pectoralis major muscle is attached to our clavicle (collar bone), sternum (breast bone), and to our humerus (bone of arm). Try to picture the humerus (arm) being pulled outwards and upwards. The pectoralis major muscle then creates a slight lift in our rib cage by pulling on the sternum, creating more space in our chest cavity. Our lungs can expand more fully, allowing us to breathe easier.