3 Types Of Upper/Middle Back Mobility Exercises

This is the third from our blog series on Mobility Exercises – Upper/ Middle Back Mobility Exercises.

Chances are if you sit for even a few hours a day, your thoracic spine – which includes the upper and middle parts of your back – could use a little mobility love!

This matters because if your thoracic spine is tight, it can put excess strain on other joints and muscles. It also can cause problems for your neck as well as your lumbar (lower) spine.

These 3 Types Of Upper/Middle Back Mobility Exercises will also bring other body parts like your hips and shoulders into play.

3 Types Of Upper/Middle Back Mobility Exercises

Thread the Needle

1. Get on your hands and knees on the floor. Keeping your hips square and your left hand on the floor, lift your right arm up toward the ceiling as you twist to the right.
2. Goal: fully extend your arm to point up to the sky.
3. From here, drop your right arm down and “thread” it beneath your chest, reaching out beyond your left side, dropping your right shoulder and temple to the floor if you can.
4. Stay for a couple breaths and repeat the sequence 2-3 times before performing on the opposite side.

Check out the Video Demo: https://youtu.be/Ckg_1l1CiB8

World’s Greatest Stretch

1. Stand tall with your feet together. Step forward with your left leg and lower your body into a lunge.
2. As you go down, place your right hand on the floor so it’s even with your left foot. Your right knee (the one extending behind you) should remain above the floor – not touching it.
3. Next, drop your left elbow so that’s inside your left foot, and rest it on the floor.
4. Square your hips so you feel a stretch on both sides, and try to keep your back as flat as possible.
5. Now, raise your left arm up from the floor and twist toward the left, and extend your left arm up toward the ceiling, trying to straighten your arm.
6. Be sure to breathe! Hold for a few breaths and repeat on the other side.
7. Repeat for 5+ reps on each side.

Here is the Video Demo: https://youtu.be/L5VzL9ki6ZA

T-Spine Rotational Reaches

1. Lie on the floor on your back. Bend your right knee at a 90o angle and cross it over your left leg, keeping both shoulders on the floor.
2. Rest the knee of your crossed leg on the floor. If that’s too much of a stretch, place it on a support such as a rolled-up mat, foam roll, or yoga block.
3. With both shoulders on the floor, reach one arm up to the ceiling, lower it, and then reach the other arm up, trying to fully extend the arms without shrugging your shoulders.
4. Continue alternating for 10 reaches with each arm.
5. Repeat with your legs crossed toward the other side.

Check out the Video Demo: https://youtu.be/BOflB6eMW2E

When you’re done with all of the exercises, move around and shake your muscles out again. How does your body feel now? Let us know.

We will cover some more Mobility exercises in our next blog. So stay tuned for more.