Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeSMR
- Equipment RequiredFoam Roll
- MechanicsIsolation
- Force TypeCompression
- Experience LevelBeginner
- Secondary Muscles
None
Target Muscle Group
Thoracic Spine Foam Rolling Overview
Foam rolling your thoracic spine is a great way to warm up and cool down for your workout, especially if you plan to perform upper body exercises that require the upper back to be more mobile.
Foam rolling your thoracic spine is a great way to warm up and cool down for your workout, especially if you plan to perform upper body exercises that require the upper back to be more mobile.
Thoracic Spine Foam Rolling Instructions
- In a supine position, position the foam roller directly underneath your upper back.
- Pick your hips up off the floor and give yourself a large hug. Try to touch the opposite shoulder blade with your hand to free up space around the musculature surrounding your thoracic spine.
- Adjust pressure into the roller by raising your hips higher or lower.
- Slowly roll up and down the length of the thoracic spine for 20-30 seconds.
- Repeat on the other side.
Thoracic Spine Foam Rolling Tips
- The most important thing you can remember with any soft tissue work: KEEP BREATHING. Don’t hold your breath, you want to release tension, not generate it.
- Avoid rolling the lumbar spine (lower back), try to stay centered over your ribcage.
- Do not allow yourself to fall into overextension, keep tension through the abs.
- If you find a tender spot, pause for 5-6 seconds and focus on slow, deep breaths and try to relax.
- Foam rolling may be uncomfortable but that’s not an excuse to avoid it. It hurts because there may be physiological or neurological influences generating a pain response. The more you roll the better it’ll feel provided there’s no serious underlying mechanism.
- If you notice any burning, numbness, or tingling, keep moving past that area. It’s likely a nerve and pausing on it for any length of time would not be a good idea.
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