Thoracic mobility plays a huge role in how you reach and move every single day. Your thoracic spine is the part of your back that starts at the base of your neck and ends around the bottom of your rib cage (think upper back). There are many muscles that start on this part of your spine and connect to things like your shoulder blades. When this part of your spine or these muscles become tight it can lead to significant limitations reaching overhead, out to the side, or rotating your trunk, which in general, can be very uncomfortable. Athletes that complete a lot of overhead reaching and twisting can ALWAY benefit from thoracic mobility work (swimmers, tennis players, volleyball players).
With computer and desk work we tend to lean forward and look down, causing tightness and forward rounded shoulders (yes you, looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame). This can cause poor posture, difficulty reaching overhead and even difficulty taking a deep breath. In between all the zoom meetings, focus needs to be spent on stretching that chest and working the back to promote better muscle balance and mobility.
Before we go any further, try this quick thoracic mobility test: sit in normal posture like your working at your computer. Hold this position and try to reach overhead. Note how far up your arms get. Now, sit up extremely tall with great posture and try to reach overhead. You will most likely notice a significant improvement in your shoulder range or motion with this postural correction.
So…mobility work…Mobility work is just as important as strength training. When you were growing up you were probably told to always warm up before you exercise. Well that is exactly what these muscles need. If you were to just start a heavy lift session you would most likely be compensating, firing the wrong muscles and therefore, not getting a super effective workout and worsening the problem. By starting with mobility work (stretching, foam rolling…dont worry we cover it all below) you will be able to lift with better form but also tolerate more weight as you will have more muscles properly engaged.
Leaning back and having upright posture is only part of what the thoracic spine does. It also rotates, to allow you to reach into the back seat of the car or to swing a golf club. To see if you are tight in your thoracic spine limiting upper body rotation, lay on the floor on one side of your body, bend your knees and be sure they always stay touching the floor. Sometimes it’s helpful to have someone hold them there. Both hands will start out in front of you. The arm that is closest to the floor will stay there. With your top arm you will lift that hand up towards the ceiling and then progressively let it reach back to the ground behind you (REMINDER: keep both knees together and on the floor) you should feel your upper body rotating separate from your lower body. Once you have gone as far as you can, flip to your other side and repeat to see if one side is tighter than the other. (more of a visual learner? Check out our exercise guide and then the “open book” exercise) Inability to touch the floor, pain or stretching all show signs of tightness. We created a thoracic spine mobility guide that can be used as a warm up to any upper body day.
Start all your exercise with a quick foam roll. One of our favorites is thoracic extension. Placing the foam roller under your back and leaning back over it. Be conscious to keep your core engaged and rib cage down as you stretch back. Additionally moving your body up and down the foam roller can help to roll out all the muscles of your back and increase blood flow. Next, start in a kneeling position and then sit on your feet, so your knees are fully bent, place the foam roller in front of you. With both hands on the foam roller and staying sitting on your feet, roll that foam roller as far as your can in front of you. Hold it for a few seconds and then roll it back in. Try this several times and see if you can reach further every time. Finally add some thread the needles into your way. Still sitting on your heals, have both hands on the floor in front of you, reach one hand under your body as far as your can to feel your upper body rotate. Gently come back to the starting position and repeat several times, again trying to reach further every time, then try the other side (check out tread the needle on the exercise guide)
Thoracic mobility directly affects how you move and reach for items all day. Spending a few extra minutes to stretch and roll will help you to move and feel better and prevent problems for years to come.Try to incorporate it into your daily routine, every day when you watch the morning news with a cup of coffee take a few minutes to just roll out and stretch during commercial breaks. (Pro tip: Keep your foam roller in the living room, convenience is key)
Share with a friend, a neighbor, your teammate or the cashier at the grocery store- we all need more thoracic mobility work in our lives!
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Baytide Health strives to write blogs that are easy for everyone to understand and feels like your chatting with a friend. Learning and caring for your body should be easy, convenient….and fun! Specifics questions or suggestions of topics? Send us a message! We write for you!
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