Get one step closer to peak performance and pain-free living by honing in on your thoracic spine mobility.
As high-performance individuals, members tend to get caught up in the strength side of fitness training, prioritizing pushing weight and regularly achieving new PRs. But to reach that top tier, you also need to be able to express movement really well — especially in your middle spine, known as the thoracic spine.
These 12 vertebrae, which extend from your shoulders to your waist and attach to the ribcage, have the main function of protecting your heart and lungs. To effectively do so, the thoracic spine needs to be mobile. When it’s mobile, you’re able to flex, extend, and rotate smoothly from that middle section of your back.
Sedentary lifestyles and hours spent hunched over a desk, however, can cause your thoracic spine to lose mobility. When that happens, the lumbar spine (aka the lower back) — which is built for stability, supporting your body weight, and resisting rotation — compensates. It needs to move more than it’s supposed to in order for you to complete a movement, whether it be turning around to chat with your partner or hitting a pickleball. The risk: back pain and fatigue. Compounding the problem, a lack of thoracic spine mobility can lead to shoulder and neck pain, research shows.
What’s more, thoracic spine mobility is tied to athletic performance. Think about throwing or running — both of those movements require rotation throughout your spine. Sports are three-dimensional, so you need to be able to move your spine three-dimensionally. In fact, the thoracic spine contributes about 55 percent of the total force and kinetic energy created during a throw, research suggests. So if you want to perform at your best, you’ll need to keep your thoracic mobility up to snuff.
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How to Improve Thoracic Mobility
Regardless of your activity levels, you could benefit from training your thoracic mobility. As the cliché goes, it’s use it or lose it. For a baseline measurement of your mobility, stand tall and rotate through the middle of your back to look behind you, keeping your hips square and facing forward. Take note of how far you’re able to comfortably rotate on each side, and check in with that as the weeks progress in your training.
The first step to enhancing thoracic mobility is a simple one: Be more active. Sit less, walk more. Get up and stretch throughout the workday. Studies show sedentary behavior is associated with lower back, neck, and shoulder pain. You can combat those effects by increasing your physical activity, which promotes joint and soft tissue mobility.
One way to fulfill that goal is by taking Equinox group fitness classes. You’re guaranteed to get some thoracic mobility work in, whether you’re taking yoga or a MetCon class. The Equinox+ app also has plenty of stretch and recovery classes, many of which incorporate thoracic mobility work.
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If you’re flying solo, incorporate some of my favorite drills into your warm-ups and mid-day active stretch sessions. Cat-cows are one of the best moves you can do for your thoracic spine; although rotation is first to come to mind when you think of thoracic mobility, that segment of your spine also needs to flex (such as when you’re bending over into a forward fold) and extend (such as when you’re reaching backward). The cat-cow moves your body through both of those joint movement patterns. As you perform the exercise, focus on moving just one segment of your spine at a time slowly and with control; I like to try to see if I can move my lumbar spine first, then my thoracic spine, and finally my cervical spine.
To target rotation, settle into a half-kneeling position against a wall, then rotate through the spine toward the front knee, opening up toward the wall. Make sure to hit both sides. You can’t go wrong with the Brettzel stretch, either; you’ll lie on the floor and essentially fold your body into a human pretzel. It’s great for thoracic mobility, and it’s more of a passive stretch so you can sit in the posture and focus on your breath.
For an in-depth assessment of your thoracic mobility, work with an Equinox COACH or Pilates instructor. There are a lot of Coaches, including myself, who are certified in functional range conditioning, so we’re equipped to analyze your spine, understand how it’s moving, and select the ideal exercises to improve and maintain your thoracic mobility.
Mobility work, especially when the focus is on the spine, may not look as sexy or feel as satisfying as lifting loaded barbells or banging out a dozen pull-ups. But even if you’re one of the strongest athletes in the world, you won’t be able to perform at your peak without solid mobility.
Dan Hagen is a COACH X and Equinox Regional Personal Training Manager based in Chicago. With more than 12 years of experience at Equinox, Dan brings a wealth of expertise to his role. He holds certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine and Precision Nutrition (Pn2) and in Functional Range Conditioning and Functional Range Assessment (FRA). Outside of work, Dan is a dedicated endurance athlete, having competed in multiple Ironman 70.3 triathlons and the Chicago Marathon. Currently, he's training for Ironman Arizona. Outside of fitness, Dan enjoys spending time with family and friends in both Chicago and St. Louis.