Your spine consists of several parts. Your lower back or lumbar spine counts 5 vertebrae (L1-L5). Each segment has about 2 degrees rotation which totals for 30° movement when turning. Your lumbar spine is designed for stability.

Your cervical spine or neck counts 7 vertebrae (C1-C7). About 40° movement in rotation. Your thoracic spine or middle back counts 12 vertebrae (T1-T12). 70° movement when turning and designed for mobility.

Lack of thoracic mobility is as common as lack of hip mobility. Slouching posture, hunchback, problems rotating your torso, … You’ve seen it, it might even sound familiar. This post will show you how to fix it.

Why Do You Need Thoracic Mobility? Lack of thoracic mobility forces your body to function in ways it was not designed for. Lack of thoracic mobility also forces your lower back and/or neck to compensate. Both increase risks of injury.

• Improve Posture. Part of the solution to a slouching back – kyphosis – is improving your thoracic mobility.
• Improve Technique. Keeping your chest up on Squats & Deadlifts prevents lower back rounding. Improving thoracic mobility makes it easier to keep your chest up. It also makes it easier to shift your torso under the bar during the Overhead Press.
• Avoid Lower Back & Neck Injuries. Lower back has 30° mobility, neck 40°, thoracic spine 70°. If you lost 70° mobility at the thoracic spine, you risk forcing mobility in your lower back/neck. Example: rotating your torso to look behind you when parking your car. This can result in a tweaked lower back/neck if you lack thoracic mobility.
• Prevent Rotator Cuff Injuries. Kyphosis prevents your shoulder-blades from tilting back when raising your arms. This narrows the subacromial space, increasing risks of shoulder impingement. Frequent impingement causes rotator cuff injuries over time. And external rotations won’t help without addressing thoracic mobility.

Do You Lack Thoracic Mobility? Lie with your back on the floor. Feet flat on the floor. Glutes against the floor. Bring your arms straight overhead (not the side). Keep your elbows locked and don’t hyper-extend your lower back.

If you can’t touch the floor with your wrists like in the picture above, you lack thoracic mobility. You can improve it using the following exercises.

1. Thoracic Spine Soft Tissue Work. I recommend Perform Better’s Foam Roller Plus. It has a PVC pipe on the inside which makes it last longer than other foam rollers. I use a paperboard roller, but a PVC pipe works too.

Lie back on the floor. Put the foam roller under your thoracic spine. Hug yourself so your shoulder-blades shift to the side. Foot flat on the floor. Glutes off the floor. Roll back & forth. Stay away from your neck and lower back.

This exercise will loosen your upper-back. Cracking & popping is common. Work through the pain while keeping your elbows up. Your back will feel better after 2-3 sessions. Again: stay away from your neck & lower back.

2. Thoracic Spine Soft Tissue Work with Tennis Balls. Same exercise as the first one but using 2 tennis balls inside a sock.

Perform sit-ups with your thoracic spine between the 2 tennis balls. Head goes against the floor on each rep. Crossed-arm grip. Elbows up. Move the tennis balls up every 3 reps. Stay away from your lower back & neck.

3. Thoracic Extension with Foam Roller. Stay on the floor with the foam roller under your thoracic spine. Glutes on the floor, hands behind your head, elbows pulled together. Drop your head. Let your upper-back stretch.

Your goal is to “arch” your thoracic spine. Try to wrap your upper-back around the foam roller. Glutes on the floor, head down, elbows together. Hold position for a few seconds then move up. Stay away from your neck & lower back.

This exercise will fix your bent upper-back posture. If you’re into powerlifting use this exercise to increase your arch for the Bench Press. But always stay away from your neck & lower back.

4. Side Lying Rotations. Lie on your right side. Left hip & knee flexed at 90°. Right leg straight. Rest your left leg on a cushion or foam roller so you can’t rotate at your lower back. Hold your right arm straight above you.

Push your right hand up while bracing your abs. Left hand on the floor with your hand palm up. Bring your left hand to your right hand while rotating your hand out. Hold the position for 2 seconds, then come back down. 10 reps both sides.

This exercise improves thoracic extension & rotation while improving your chest flexibility. Make sure you move from the thoracic spine, not from your lower back. Push your abs out from start to finish.

5. High Step Rotations. Grab a broomstick and put it on your back like for Squats. Rest your right leg on bench. Push your abs out. Squeeze your left glute. Rotate as far as you can to the right without moving your pelvis.

This exercise improves thoracic mobility & glute activation. Don’t move your neck and pelvis. The whole movement must come from your thoracic spine. Push your abs out and squeeze the glute of your down leg.

6. Quadruped Thoracic Rotation & Extension. Get on all 4s. Arms & thighs perpendicular to the floor. Brace your abs. Left hand behind your head. Rotate your trunk to your right arm by leading with your left shoulder.

This exercise improves thoracic rotation and extension. Move your thoracic spine, not your lower back, neck or elbow. Keep your elbow inline with your shoulder, your neck inline with your spine and push your abs out.


7. Heel Sit Mid Thoracic Stretch. Kneel on the floor. Sit back on your heels. Lay your torso on top of your thighs. Left arm reached out in front of you. Right hand behind your head. Rotate your trunk to the ceiling.

This exercise improves thoracic rotation & extension. Move from your thoracic spine. Keep your stomach on your thighs. Keep your elbow inline with your shoulder. Keep your neck inline with your spine.

8. Indian Style Thoracic Mobilization. Sit indian style. Hands behind your head. Rotate to the right. Sidebend to the right. Try to rotate further on each rep by moving from your thoracic spine. Video by Mike Boyle.

Try all these thoracic mobility exercises. 2 sets of 10 reps as warm-up and/or on recovery days. Focus on quality of movement not quantity. The exercises you struggle with are the exercises you need to do.