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foam roller

Foam Roller : Thoracic Spine Mobility

Why is Thoracic Spine Mobility so Important?

The thoracic spine is the longest segment of the spine running from the neck to the abdomen. It is the only area of the spine that connects to the ribs. ⁣This area of the spine plays a vital role in load transfer between the upper and lower body. It also is a main contributor to rotational movement within the body. Because of this, poor thoracic spine mobility can contribute to issues at the neck, shoulder, low back, and hip. ⁣


How to improve thoracic extension and rotation:

  • Lumbar Locked Rotation
  • Foam Roller
  • Quadruped Thoracic Rotation
  • Sidelying Windmills
  • T-Spine Rotation with Hip Hinge
  • Overhead Wall Pushes⁣⁣

Check out our YouTube Channel and follow our Glendale Locations Instagram page for more information on improving Thoracic spine mobility.

Foam Roller: Thoracic Extension

The foam roller is a great tool to assist in improving thoracic spine mobility.  Most people rolling their spine tend to just go back and forth for several minutes over their spine. This doesn't create thoracic extension.The main objective of foam rolling is to relax the spine over the roller so we get some mobility in the vertebral joints of the thoracic spine. The key is relaxing your spine over the roller in several different segments along the thoracic spine.  Check out our video below on how to use a foam roller to improve thoracic extension.

 

Lumbar Locked Rotation

Lumbar Locked Rotation : Thoracic Spine Mobility

Why is Thoracic Spine Mobility so Important?

The thoracic spine is the longest segment of the spine running from the neck to the abdomen. It is the only area of the spine that connects to the ribs. ⁣This area of the spine plays a vital role in load transfer between the upper and lower body. It also is a main contributor to rotational movement within the body. Because of this, poor thoracic spine mobility can contribute to issues at the neck, shoulder, low back, and hip. ⁣


How to improve thoracic extension and rotation:

  • Lumbar Locked Rotation
  • Foam Roller
  • Quadruped Thoracic Rotation
  • Sidelying Windmills
  • T-Spine Rotation with Hip Hinge
  • Overhead Wall Pushes⁣⁣

Check out our YouTube Channel and follow our Glendale Locations Instagram page for more information on improving Thoracic spine mobility.

Lumbar Locked Rotation

The Lumbar Locked Rotation is not only a good test for identifying limitations in Thoracic Spine Mobility, but it is also a good stretch to help improve t-spine mobility.  This is a self-stretch with the low back in a firm position to increase thoracic spine rotation while stabilizing one side. Get into a quadruped position and sit the buttocks on the heels with the elbows and forearms placed firmly in the floor.  Check out our video below on how to perform this exercise.

 

plank exercise

Plank Exercise: Workout from Home Series

Make Bodyweight Exercises a Staple

Squats, deadlifts, and presses are great for getting strong and building a foundation, but you need to make sure you balance them out with a steady diet of body weight training. ⁣Bodyweight exercises keep you honest because you can’t just eat your way to improved leverages to see strength gains like you could with the barbell lifts. ⁣

Here are some of our favorite bodyweight exercises for the upper body that should be a staple in any program: ⁣

  • Push-up variations ⁣
  • Inverted Rows⁣
  • Chin/Pull Ups ⁣
  • Handstand variations ⁣
  • Dips⁣
  • Plank Exercise

Remember to scale each movement appropriately and progress according to your skill level. There are plenty of variations to keep you busy for months with this list of movements.⁣

Plank Exercise

The Plank Exercise is a great bodyweight exercise that targets the "core" muscles and involves the whole body.  There are many variations of this exercise that can increase the difficulty.  The variation below is a weighted, with the plate weight carefully placed on the back to increase the difficulty.  At home, you can use a filled backpack if you don't have weights to place on your back.  You can also check out this video: "20 Plank Exercise Variations", to learn more ways of performing this exercise.