What is the Thoracic Spine and Why Is It Important?

The thoracic spine is the mid to upper portion of your back; the longest portion of your spine, spanning 12 vertebrae. A mobile thoracic spine can flex, extend and rotate freely, allowing you to get into different mechanical positions to target the intended muscles during different exercises.

For instance, to perform a barbell overhead press, you need significant thoracic extension to open up your shoulder girdle, allowing you to get your arms over your head, working the shoulders in an overhead position.

If you do not have sufficient thoracic mobility, your body can compensate for the lack of mobility. In most exercises, like the barbell overhead press, the lower back will be forced to extend significantly, which is unlikely the goal of the exercise. This could lead to injury if this lower back load isn’t accounted for but will definitely reduce the effectiveness of the exercise because of worse technique.

Common Causes of Poor Thoracic Mobility

Prolonged sitting at a desk and a lack of exercise through a full range of motion is commonly associated with poor thoracic mobility and is an increasing issue in society.

For those that work from home or at the office, exercises to improve and maintain good thoracic mobility are a must to reverse the effects of prolonged sitting. You should also supplement this with being more active throughout your working day by utilising active desk-breaks and even implementing sit-to-stand desks.

How Can You Improve Your Thoracic Mobility?

Foam Roll

Foam Rolling for approximately 90 seconds can temporarily increase flexibility, however, these effects negate after about 30 minutes. Therefore, the foam roller should be used to facilitate long-term thoracic mobility exercises during this short period, NOT as a long-term fix in its own right. Exercise and less sedentary behaviour are the long-term fix.

• Lay supine, with your feet flat on the floor, up towards your bum and a foam roller below your upper back.

• Push the floor away with your feet to roll up the foam roller, covering your entire thoracic spine.

• Pull yourself back up the roller back to your start position and repeat.

• Cross your arms if you want to make it more intense, moving your scapula out of the way.

Cross Over Toe Touch to Vertical Reach Stretch

The Cross Over Toe Touch to Vertical Reach Stretch incorporates elements of thoracic extension, flexion and rotation and can be performed in a static stretch or a dynamic stretch to improve your mobility. Perform it throughout the day to break up your sitting time or before a training session in your warm-up.

• Stand tall, feet together, under your hips.

• Reach as far to the sky as possible with one hand, with the other behind your back.

• After a pause, reach down to your opposing foot, pausing at your deepest point before reaching to the sky again.

• Perform 10 reps on each arm.

Overhead Barbell Squat

Strength training through a full range of motion is an effective way to reinforce and improve flexibility gains, so once you have gained good baseline mobility, start loading it.

• Stand tall, feet shoulder width apart, facing slightly out and the Barbell held overhead, arms locked out, with a wide grip.

• Sit between your knees until your hips are below your knees, then stand back up.

• Hold the bar over your centre of mass throughout, which will be approximately over the back of your head.

• Make sure to keep the arms locked out throughout by thinking about ‘touching the sky’ with the bar.

Follow these 3 steps to better thoracic mobility to optimise your training and leave the days of the tight upper back in the past!

Written by guest author Eryn Barber.

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Tags: Equipment > PBars & Weight Plates ; Equipment > Rollers ; Exercise Type > Conditioning