This is one of my favourite Thoracic Spine mobility exercises: The “Spine CAR” (controlled articular rotation).
Hold and squeeze a medicine ball or pillow — or just cross your arms in front of you. Adding the object to squeeze helps to add tension and isolate the motion.
Try your best to tuck the pelvis underneath you will help to isolate the spine (specifically the thoracic region).
Bonus Tip: Add a deep breath between each section of the movement to incorporate the ribs expanding in each position.
The Sequence
Step 1: Squeeze ball/ pillow and round your upper back into flexion trying to reach your maximum range – hold and take a deep breath
Step 2: rotate (left or right) while maintaining flexion – take a deep breath
Step 3: start to go into extension, isolating the thoracic spine as best you can while still maintaining that rotation (you’ll start to be able to push for more rotation as you extend) – take a deep breath
Step 4: start to uncoil your rotation and move into straight extension reaching your maximum range (again try and leave the lumbar out of it as much as possible) – deep breath
Step 5: work the previous steps backwards
Rotate to the opposite side, add flexion while maintaining rotation, uncoil into straight flexion, extend straight up. Remember to breath through each position!
Repeat on opposite side.
Give it a go! You can go as fast or slow as you want and control your own intensity level.
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