You likely spend most of your day sitting at your computer, scrolling through your phone, or lounging on your couch. And while these are not bad positions, slouching for extended periods of time can result in stiffness or in your thoracic spine.

Why Is Thoracic Mobility Important?

Your thoracic spine is the section of your spine that runs down your upper and middle back. If you鈥檙e an athlete or active person, thoracic mobility is critical for lifting weights with proper form, doing activities that require overhead extension (such as tennis), and even maintaining proper breathing techniques.

Without thoracic mobility, you may experience back pain or see a drop in your athletic performance.

3 Thoracic Mobility Exercises

As with strengthening exercises, seeing improvements in your mobility takes time. If you want to work on building your thoracic mobility, commit to doing these exercises three to four times a week for at least four weeks. If you鈥檙e more focused on maintaining your current mobility, try adding these movements into your current workout routine one to two times a week.

1. Cat-Camel Stretch with a Thoracic Focus

You may be familiar with this common stretch, but this variation specifically targets your thoracic spine. By sitting back onto your heels in this movement, you鈥檒l lock out your lower back, giving you the ability to focus on your thoracic spine.

How to do it:

1. Come into a tabletop position. Shift your hips back. They should be stacked above your heels.
2. Slowly arch your back and look up toward the ceiling. Hold this position for a second.
3. Round your neck, back, and shoulders and shift your gaze toward the floor. Hold this position for a couple seconds.
4. Continue moving between these two positions. Make sure to maintain control throughout this movement.

Complete 1-2 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

2. Weighted Thoracic Extension with a Foam Roller

This is one of my favorite exercises to help improve thoracic mobility. For this exercise, you鈥檒l need a foam roller and a light or medium dumbbell.

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back. Place your feet on a wall in a reverse tabletop position. Position a foam roller perpendicular to your spine under your upper back.
2. Grab a light or medium weight (between 10 and 12 pounds) and position it behind your head. By using the dumbbell, you鈥檒l be able to deepen the stretch, but you can also opt to do this movement without the added weight.
3. Slowly roll your spine over the foam roller, feeling a stretch in your upper back. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds.

Perform 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

3. Thread the Needle

How to do it:

1. Start in a tabletop position.
2. Lift your right arm up, opening your right shoulder.
3. Thread your right arm under your body, rotating your right shoulder to face the opposite direction. Reach your right arm as far as you can.
4. Slowly rotate your arm back up toward the ceiling. Keep your gaze on your right thumb.

Repeat this movement 8 to 10 times before switching to your left side. Perform 1-2 sets on each side of your body.

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Lower back pain can feel neverending鈥攁nd impossible to fix. As one of the most common orthopedic injuries, there鈥檚 an overwhelming number of treatment options. Oftentimes, unnecessary surgeries and injections promise you some relief from your discomfort. However, unfortunately, like most injuries, there鈥檚 no magic solution.

5 Common Misconceptions About Lower Back Pain

Managing lower back pain is specific to each individual experiencing it. It鈥檚 about finding the right formula of movements, modifications, and treatments that work for you. However, before you start to craft a plan of relief, it鈥檚 critical to acknowledge some of the most common misconceptions surrounding lower back pain.

1. Lower back pain is completely normal

Society normalizes something that is not typical but rather a common occurrence. More than 85 percent of people will be affected by lower back pain in their lifetime. However, while this is a familiar experience, it does not mean it should be the standard expectation.

Pain, especially chronic pain, is the body’s way of telling us something is wrong. However, instead of listening to these signals and adjusting our routines accordingly, we often ignore them and continue to push through the discomfort.

For example, lower back pain could be your body鈥檚 way of telling you it needs more stability, movement, or mobility. It could also be an indication that you have muscular imbalances and weaknesses.

2. Most cases of lower back pain are caused by one thing

There鈥檚 typically never just one culprit behind your lower back pain. For example, your range of motion, mobility, strength, and joint health could all be reasons why you鈥檙e feeling some discomfort.

It also extends beyond physical factors. Your job, stress levels, nutrition, and sleep habits can all contribute to your musculoskeletal health. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 critical to make sure you鈥檙e receiving individualized treatment for your pain.

3. Lower back pain often requires surgery and invasive treatments

After throwing your back out or twisting the wrong way, you may be in a large amount of pain鈥攁nd have the urge to rush to the hospital. And while there鈥檚 no denying your discomfort, you can likely treat your injury with more conservative methods. More than 90 percent of cases are non-emergent, which means they don鈥檛 require surgery.

4. When you have lower back pain, it鈥檚 best to limit activity

Our bodies are meant to move and be active鈥攜es, even when we鈥檙e in pain. Rest is not the same as rehabilitation. This doesn鈥檛 mean you should run a marathon or go for a FKT when you鈥檙e injured, but rather try to find modified ways to integrate movement into your day. By staying mobile, you鈥檒l help promote blood flow to your back, aiding in the healing process of your injury.

For example, instead of sitting on the couch and watching another episode on Netflix, look for easy ways to move. Even the smallest amount of activity is better than nothing. You could go for a 5-minute walk, practice some modified stretches, or work on deep core activation through breathwork. A professional, such as a physical therapist, can suggest movements and exercises that will work best for your injury and pain tolerance.

5. 鈥淒egeneration鈥� is predictive of lower back pain

Just as you may see signs of aging on the outside of your body, degeneration within the spine is completely normal鈥攁nd even expected. (One of my former college professors referred to this process as our 鈥渨rinkles on the inside.鈥�)

The presence of typical aging processes in your spine is not necessarily a determinant of future back pain. Many over the age of 30 will show some signs of aging if you take an X-ray of their spine. But most 30-year-olds are not walking around with debilitating back pain. Changes within your musculoskeletal system are a normal part of life. There are many lifestyle, genetic, and physical factors outside of an imagining report that dictate how you can or will experience pain and discomfort.

4 Stretches for Lower Back Pain

Your treatment plan for your lower back pain should be specific to your lifestyle and individual needs. However, there are several stretches that can help support the health of your lower back and spine. Practice these exercises a few times a week for the best results.

1. Lower Trunk Rotations

• Start by lying on a flat surface with your knees bent. Slowly lower your knees down to one side of your body in a windshield-wiper motion. Continue this motion, alternating sides.
• As you lower your legs to the left, you should feel the stretch on the right side of your lower back and hips. The same sensation should occur on the left side of your body when you lower down to the right.
• Move slowly between the two sides, holding the position on each for 5 to 10 seconds.

2. Child’s Pose

• In addition to being a restorative posture in yoga, Child鈥檚 Pose is also a great stretch for your lower back.
• Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Slowly sit your hips back while simultaneously stretching your arms straight out in front of you.
• Hold this position for 10 to 30 seconds, depending on your personal comfort level.

3. Posterior Pelvic Tilts

• Posterior pelvic tilts help to activate the deep core muscles that support your lower back.
• It鈥檚 a subtle movement, so you will not see much motion when practicing these. However, that doesn鈥檛 mean they鈥檙e ineffective.
• Start by lying on a flat surface with your knees bent. Separate your feet hip-distance apart. Tucking your pelvis, rock your hips backward toward your head, flattening your lower back against the floor. Avoid straining or holding your breath.
• Perform 2 sets of 10 reps, holding each rep for at least 3 seconds.

4. Bridges

• This movement strengthens your glute muscles, which help support your lower back.
• Begin by lying on a flat surface with your knees bent. Move into a posterior pelvic tilt position, as you did in the previous exercise. Slowly lift your hips up. Hold for 2 seconds. Avoid arching your lower back.
• Lower your hips back down to the ground and repeat.
• Perform 2 sets of 10 reps.

Britni Barber is a physical therapist, certified pain-free performance specialist, and strength coach in Denver, Colorado.聽

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