10 Thoracic Spine Exercises For Strength And Mobility

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• What is The Thoracic Spine
• Benefits Of Mobility In The Thoracic Spine
• Mobility Exercises For The Thoracic Spine
• How Often Should You Do Thoracic Exercises
• Frequently Asked Questions About The Thoracic Spine

Benefits Of Mobility In The Thoracic Spine

Because the thoracic spine (also known as T-spine) is responsible for so much, some of the benefits of keeping good movement in that area are:

• Improved posture
• Less low back and neck pain
• Less injury risk (specifically with the shoulder)
• Being able to move well as you age

The old saying that “if you don’t use it you’ll lose it” comes into play with the thoracic spine. Many of us stop using our thoracic spine and then we lose the ability to.

Part of this is due to our daily nature to hunch over things and the problem is that once we begin to use poor movement patterns we then use our low back too much (which can then cause pain and injury). Learn more about avoiding low back pain too.

Mobility Exercises For The Thoracic Spine

The mobility exercises below are all great for beginners.

They can be done on their own or worked into a mini mobility session you can do daily. These are dynamic mobility drills which means you’re moving through the exercises. O

Once you gain movement in your upper back, using stretches like the inverted cat or an elevated child's pose is great to stretch the area as well (and helps in shoulder mobility too).

Remember that your thoracic spine is meant to extend and rotate, so focus on that area and not performing the movement in the low back.

Some of the exercises may be uncomfortable but over time you’ll start to see more movement in your back.

1. Cat Cow

A classic movement but one that takes a lot of focus.

1. Come onto all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders.
2. Round your upper back toward the ceiling (not just the lower back!).
3. Pause, and the press your chest to the floor to extend the upper back.
4. Make sure to take care not to perform the movement solely through the lumbar spine.

Perform these for 10-15 repetitions.

2. Thread The Kneedle

This move can be done from a tabletop position (all fours) or a child's pose position.

1. Come into a table top position on your hands and knees.
2. Take your right arm and thread it through the gap between your legs and left arm.
3. Place the right shoulder on the floor and look to the left. Pause.
4. Twist from your upper back and not your lower back so that you feel the stretch in the back of your right shoulder.
5. Bring the arm back up toward the ceiling and repeat.

Use the floor as resistance to twist from the upper back while keeping the hips squared so that the low back is not twisting.

Perform 10 repetitions on each side.

3. Weighted Pullovers

1. Lay on your back with your knees bent or straight (bent is easier and better for beginners).
2. Tuck your ribs down toward your hips and raise your arms straight out from your shoulders.
3. Grab a yoga block and slowly bring the arms toward the ground behind your head.
4. Take care not to flare your ribs or upper back.
5. Bring the arms back up and repeat.

Start with a yoga block and progress to small weights.

Keeping the knees bent makes this easier. Really focus on engaging the internal core muscles. Use a yoga block as “weight” to start and slowly scale up. Also, REALLY ensure the rib cage stays down. If it comes up, you’ve gone too far.

Repeat for a total of 15 repetitions

4. Wall Pulses

These help improve thoracic extension using the wall as resistance.

1. Stand a foot away from the wall and place your palms flat on the wall at head height.
2. Keeping your low back locked in, press your chest toward the floor and sink the heels down.
3. Do not arch the low back. Aim to extend the upper back and feel a stretch in the underarms.
4. Come back up to the starting position and repeat.

Perform for 12 repetitions

5. Lunge Rotations

For this mobility drill, remember that the upper back is made to rotate, not the lower back.

1. Come into a plank position.
2. Bring the right foot up toward the right hand and place the heel on the floor.
3. Drop the back knee to the ground.
4. Light the right arm and twist the body into the front knee stretching the chest toward the sky.
5. Bring the arm back down and repeat on the same side before switching.

Perform for 8 repetitions on each side.

6. Thoracic Openers

1. Lay on your right side with your knees bent at hip level.
2. Place your arms together straight out from your shoulders on the floor.
3. Place a pillow or yoga block between your knees.
4. Without moving your hips (keep them squared and facing forward), open your left arm toward the opposite floor.
5. Twist from the upper back, not the lower back.
6. Bring the arm back to the other and repeat.

Mobility drill that helps get movement in the shoulders and upper back. Make sure the knees stay stacked and hips face forward to ensure movement in the upper and not lower back.

Perform for 30 seconds on each side.

7. Side Lying Circles

1. Lay on your right side with your knees bent at hip level.
2. Place your arms together straight out from your shoulders on the floor.
3. Place a pillow or yoga block between your knees.

Without moving your hips (keep them squared and facing forward), draw a circle from your bottom hand up and around your head and to the other side with the top hand.

While you draw the circle rotate through with the thoracic spine keeping you neck in line and following the moving hand.

Perform 6 repetitions on each side. See the video above for the drill.

8. Floor Angels

1. Lay flat on the floor. If you find that you naturally extend the low back, bend your knees.
2. Tuck the rib cage down into a neutral position.
3. Place your hands' palms up on the floor with the elbows bent at ninety degrees.
4. Slowly extend your arms above your head keeping the wrists and low back on the floor at all times.

Repeat for a total of 12 repetitions

9. Foam Roller Thoracic Extension

For this mobility drill you do need a foam roller and a dowel.

1. Lay with your upper back on the foam roller (have the foam roller toward the top of your upper back).
2. Hips on the floor and tucked low back (no arching).
3. Hold the dowel in your hands and slowly try to touch the dowel toward the floor.
4. Bring it back up and repeat for 5 repetitions before moving the foam roller lower on your thoracic spine.

Do this for three separate areas on the spine with 5 repetitions at each.,

10. Wall Rotations

This mobility drill is an advanced one and should only be done once you’ve got some movement. Move slow to nail the form down.

1. Come into a half kneeling position next to a wall with your front leg bent (heel on the floor).
2. Place your finger tips at your ears and the elbow closest to the wall, on the wall with your upper back close to the wall.
3. Keeping the hips table, try to draw a circle with the elbow on the wall from the front of the knee to the glute behind you.
4. Bring it back and repeat

Perform 5 circles on each side. The closer to the wall you are the harder this is.

How Often Should You Do Thoracic Exercises

Thoracic spine exercises don’t require heavy weights or even equipment. They’re low-impact and great for beginners (like this total body mobility drill).

To improve your thoracic mobility, I’d recommend doing thoracic mobility drills daily.

Working the exercises below into a circuit can be done in under 5 minutes per day. This beginner hip mobility is a great one to start with as well if you have sticky hips.

These exercises are so important that I include a 5-minute mobility sequence every month in the SMASH workout program.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Thoracic Spine