Lie face down and rotate your upper torso to mobilize the thoracic spine and relieve stiffness in the mid/upper back. The movement focuses on rotating the chest and shoulder blade area while keeping the pelvis stable.
How to do the Prone Thoracic Rotation#
- Lie prone with one arm bent and hand behind your head and the other arm resting on the floor for support.
- Keep your hips and pelvis pressed into the floor and brace your core to isolate the upper spine.
- Rotate your top shoulder and chest upward, lifting the elbow toward the ceiling and feeling the twist through the mid-back.
- Slowly return the elbow toward the floor, repeat for the set number of reps, then switch sides.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Upper back (Rhomboids & Middle Trapezius), Obliques (External & Internal Obliques)
- Secondary: Chest (Pectoralis Major), Abs (Rectus Abdominis)
Common mistakes#
- Lifting the hips off the floor and moving the pelvis.
- Rotating from the lower back instead of the thoracic spine.
- Yanking the arm to create motion instead of turning the chest.
- Rushing the movement without controlled rotation.
- Holding your breath during the exercise.
