Back
Thoracic Spine exercises
The thoracic spine is the upper and mid-back region connecting to your ribs. It allows you to stand tall, rotate, reach overhead, and breathe well. It consists of 12 vertebrae (T1-T12) and is crucial for posture, shoulder function, and rib mobility.
214
Exercises
0
Movement ranges
Published population evidence
Thoracic Spine population reference statistics
Population reference evidence—not a normal range or tracking target.
These values summarize a source population measured under a specific protocol. They are not individual normal ranges, treatment goals, or personal tracking thresholds.
No published population reference statistics are available for this joint.
The legacy movement cards and reviewed exercise library remain available below.
Related exercise guides
Home-first options prioritize safe range, household equipment, and pain-aware progression.
360 Breathing (Hands on Ribs)
Learn to expand your ribs in all directions like an umbrella. This is the foundation of thoracic mobility and posture.
3 min
Abdominal Bracing
Learn to gently tighten your core muscles to protect your spine during movement. This is the foundation of all lumbar stability exercises.
10 reps
Alternate-Nostril Breathing, Nadi Shodhana Hand Positions
You sit tall and cross-legged with your eyes closed and your left hand on your left knee. You use your right hand to close one nostril at a time as you breathe.
10 reps
Arm Circles on the Pilates Arm Chair
A seated arm circle on a Pilates arm chair. You sit tall with your back on the chair and a spring handle in each hand, press your arms straight, then circle them.
10 reps
Back Widow
You lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat, and elbows bent to a right angle on the floor. You press your elbows into the floor and lift your upper back and shoulders off the floor.
10 reps
Backpack Row
Use a weighted backpack to do bent-over rows at home. Practical strength training with household items.
10 reps
Band Pull-Aparts
Hold a resistance band in front of you and pull it apart to chest level. Simple but effective for posture and shoulder health.
15 reps
Band Side Bend
You stand tall with feet hip-width apart, holding a band that is anchored low in one hand at your side. You bend sideways at the waist, then return to upright with control.
10 reps
Bird Dog - Full (Contralateral)
Extend opposite arm and leg while on all fours. One of the most back-friendly core exercises that builds stability and coordination.
6 reps
Bird Dog - Leg Only
On all fours, extend one leg straight back while keeping your hips level. This builds back and hip stability without aggravating most back conditions.
8 reps
Bird Dog with Elbow to Knee
Full bird dog with a crunch: bring elbow and knee together under your body, then extend. Adds dynamic movement to the classic exercise.
8 reps
Bird-Dog
From hands and knees, extend opposite arm and leg. Classic core and back stability exercise.
10 reps
Bodyweight Standing Wood Chop With Clasped Hands
You stand with feet shoulder-width apart and clasp your empty hands together as if gripping an axe handle. You raise your hands up and across your body, then chop them down diagonally.
8 reps
Boxing on the Pilates Arm Chair
A seated punching move on a Pilates arm chair. You sit with your back against the chair, hold the spring handles, and punch straight in front of your centre while keeping your shoulders on the back.
10 reps
Butterfly on the Pilates Arm Chair
A seated side move on a Pilates arm chair. With arms wide in the handles, one arm reaches up and over while the other reaches down and back, then you pulse the lower arm.
10 reps
Cat-Cow
Classic spine mobility exercise alternating between rounding and arching your back. Warms up the entire spine.
10 reps
Cervical Flexion-and-Extension Range of Motion in Quadruped
You kneel on your hands and knees on a mat with your belly button drawn in. You lift your head to look at the ceiling. Then you return to neutral and slowly lower your head, chin tucked in.
10 reps
Chest and Front-of-Shoulder Stretch
Stand tall holding a stick with a wide overhand grip in front of the hips. Raise the straight arms and arc the stick behind the back, hold briefly, then reverse.
30s
Chin Tuck (Axial Extension)
Pull your chin straight back to align your head over your spine. Fundamental exercise for reducing forward head posture.
10 reps
Cleopatra / Dumb Waiter Standing Shoulder Warm-Up
Stand tall with your elbows bent to 90 degrees and palms up. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and rotate your arms out to the sides, pause, then float your arms up. You may feel a gentle stretch across your chest.
10 reps
Corner Pec Stretch
Stand in a corner and stretch both pecs at once. Great for opening up the chest after long periods of sitting.
30s
Crocodile Breathing
Lie on your stomach to feel your belly and ribs expand into the floor. This teaches diaphragmatic breathing and calms the nervous system.
3 min
Dead Bug - Contralateral
The full dead bug: extend opposite arm and leg simultaneously while keeping your back stable. One of the best anti-extension core exercises.
6 reps
Dead Bug - Heel Taps
Lie on your back and slowly lower one heel to tap the floor while keeping your back stable. This teaches core control without stressing your spine.
8 reps
Dead Bug - Leg Extension
A more challenging dead bug where you extend one leg out straight while keeping your back flat. Excellent for building anti-extension core strength.
8 reps
Dual Vector Reverse Throw With the Consecutive-Loop Elastic Band
You stand with one foot through the middle loop of an elastic band, with the last loop wrapped around your upper arm. You lift your hand upward and outward as if cocking the shoulder, then slowly bring the arm down across your body.
10 reps
Elbow Circles
Stand with your hands on your shoulders and your elbows at shoulder level, pointing out. Slowly draw a full circle with your elbows, breathing out as it starts and in as it finishes.
10 reps
Floor Sit-Up
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hands beside your head. Lift your head and shoulders, bring your chest up toward your knees, then lower slowly. You may feel your abdomen and the front of your hips working.
10 reps
Foam Roller Thoracic Extension
Lie over a foam roller to extend your mid-back. Excellent for releasing stiff thoracic segments.
8 reps
Frog Sit-Ups
Lie on your back with the soles of the feet together and the knees dropped wide. Cross the arms over the chest and curl the upper body up.
10 reps
Front Plank (Forearm Plank)
Hold a straight-body position on your forearms. Builds overall core endurance to support and protect your lower back.
3 reps
Front Plank with Shoulder Taps
Add anti-rotation challenge to your plank by tapping alternate shoulders. Builds rotational stability for the spine.
8 reps
Gada Push-and-Pull Swing
A momentum swing with a long bamboo-style mace. You push it upward to fall, brace your core, pull hard just before the lowest point and quarter-turn it back up.
8 reps
Gate Pose Kneeling Side Bend
Kneel on a folded blanket with one leg stretched out to the side. Bend sideways over that leg with one hand on the shin and the other arm up over your head. You may feel a gentle stretch along your side and in the inside or back of the straight leg.
30s
Glute Bridge with March
Hold a bridge position and alternate lifting each foot off the floor. This adds anti-rotation challenge and single-leg work.
8 reps
Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
A stable kneeling position to stretch the front of your hip. More controlled than standing and allows you to focus on the stretch.
2 reps
Half-Kneeling Thoracic Rotation
Assume a half-kneeling position and rotate your torso. Adds hip stability challenge to thoracic rotation.
8 reps
Hip Hinge Drill (Wall Tap)
Learn to bend at your hips instead of your lower back. Stand with your back to a wall and push hips back to tap it. Essential for safe lifting.
12 reps
Hip Hinge with Dowel
Use a stick or dowel along your spine to learn proper hip hinge form. The dowel gives you feedback if your back rounds or arches.
10 reps
I-Y-T-W Combo
Flow through I, Y, T, and W arm positions while lying face down. Complete mid-back and shoulder blade workout in one exercise.
6 reps
Inspiratory Muscle Training With a Spring-Loaded Hand-Held Breathing Trainer
You sit or stand upright holding a small breathing trainer with the mouthpiece sealed in your lips. You breathe out fully, then breathe in fast and hard through the device against its resistance.
10 reps
Iron Crosses
Aim: easier hip, back and chest movement. Good for: Floor mobility on a rest day; Warm-up for hips and back; Gentle trunk rotation.
30s
Kneeling Reverse Fly With a Cable or Band
You kneel tall on a mat with a handle in each hand and your arms extended in front at shoulder height. You breathe out and pull your arms backward and downward in a wide arc to hip level with your palms turned up.
8 reps
Medicine Ball Diagonal Chop, Straddle-Stance Squat-and-Rotate
You stand with a wide stance holding a medicine ball at your waist. You sweep the ball up over one shoulder, then drive it down and across your body while squatting and rotating.
8 reps
Open Book (Side-Lying Rotation)
Lie on your side and rotate your top arm open like a book. Classic thoracic rotation mobility exercise.
10 reps
Pallof Press - Half Kneeling
Perform the Pallof press in a half-kneeling position. This adds hip flexor stretch and more stability challenge.
8 reps
Pallof Press - Kneeling
Kneel beside a cable or band and press it straight out, resisting the rotation. This anti-rotation exercise is excellent for lumbar stability.
10 reps
Pallof Press - Standing
The standing version of Pallof press. Stand sideways to a cable or band and press out, challenging your core to resist rotation.
10 reps
Pec Minor Doorway Stretch
Use a doorway to stretch the front of your chest and shoulders. Opens up tight pecs that contribute to rounded posture.
30s
Prayer Stretch on Chair
Kneel and rest your arms on a chair to stretch your lats and thoracic spine. Opens up the whole upper back.
45s
Prep for Short Box Side to Side on the Pilates Arm Chair
A seated side bend on a Pilates arm chair. You sit with your whole back on the chair, hold the handles with long fingers, and lift your torso up and over to one side against the springs.
10 reps
Prone Arm Lift with Rotation
Lie face down and lift one arm while adding rotation. Combines extension and rotation with shoulder blade control.
8 reps
Prone Cobra Rotation
Lie face down, lift your chest, and add rotation. Combines extension with rotation for a complete mobility drill.
8 reps
Prone Posture Hold (Cobra Hold)
Hold a gentle cobra position for time to build back extension endurance. Develops postural stamina against gravity.
20s
Prone Y Raise
Lie face down and lift your arms in a Y shape above your head. Targets lower trapezius and serratus for overhead reaching.
10 reps
Push-Up Plus
Do a push-up and at the top, push your body away from the floor to protract your shoulder blades. Strengthens the serratus anterior.
10 reps
Quadruped Thoracic Rotation
On hands and knees, place one hand behind your head and rotate to open up your chest. Simple yet effective rotation drill.
10 reps
Reverse Tabletop
Sit with your knees bent and palms flat on the mat behind your hips. Press through your hands and feet to lift your hips until your trunk and thighs are level. You may feel the back of your hips and thighs working, and a stretch across your shoulders and chest.
10 reps
Rowing 1
You sit tall on a Pilates cadillac facing the arm springs, with your legs straight and squeezed together. You hold your fists at breastbone level and round your back toward the mat while the springs open.
10 reps
Rowing 3 on the Pilates Arm Chair
You sit tall with your back against the arm chair, the soles of your feet together and your knees apart. You hold the handles at chest height, reach your arms to a high diagonal, then lower the straight arms toward the floor.
10 reps
Rowing 5
A seated overhead press on a Pilates arm chair. You sit with your back on the backrest, soles of the feet together, hands behind your head, then reach your hands up toward the ceiling against the springs.
10 reps
Rowing 6 on the Pilates Arm Chair
You sit up tall with your whole back against the arm chair, the soles of your feet together and your knees apart. You hold the handles in front of your chest and reach your arms wide to the sides with soft elbows, keeping your shoulders on the chair.
10 reps
Scapular Setting
Learn to control your shoulder blades by gently pulling them down and back. The foundation of all upper back exercises.
12 reps
Seated Band Row
Sit on the floor and pull a resistance band toward your ribs. Builds mid-back strength for better posture.
12 reps
Seated Chest Stretch
Sit upright away from the chair back with your shoulders drawn back and down. Reach both arms out to the sides at shoulder height, then ease your chest forward and up. You may feel a stretch across the chest.
30s
Seated Figure-4 Stretch
A seated version of the piriformis stretch. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee and lean forward. Good for desk workers.
2 reps
Seated Open Book Breathing
Combine gentle rotation with rib breathing while seated. Opens up stiff mid-back and improves rotation range.
8 reps
Seated Slump to Tall
Practice moving between slouched and tall postures to improve spinal mobility and body awareness.
10 reps
Seated Tall-Sit Timer
Simply sit with good posture for timed periods. The most practical posture endurance exercise for desk workers.
3 min
Seated Thoracic Rotation with Towel
Hold a towel in front of you like a steering wheel and rotate your upper body side to side. Great for desk workers.
12 reps
Segmental Cat-Cow
A more controlled version of cat-cow where you move one vertebra at a time. Develops fine motor control of your spine.
6 reps
Shibashi Broadening One's Chest
A four-part taiji qigong movement done standing on a fixed stance. The arms raise to shoulder level, open to the sides, come together in front, then sink to the thighs as the knees bend slightly.
10 reps