Hey, hey! Welcome back to another Training Tip Tuesday! Today we offer a new way to work through thoracic flexion and extension.
You might recall our training tip that helps train thoracic extension using a bench. But what if you aren’t near a ledge or bench? Maybe you’re even sitting at your desk at work. What then?
But, before we dive into how to work on our thoracic flexion and extension sans bench, let’s review what Thoracic flexion and extension are.
Thoracic flexion and extension refers to the ability of your thoracic spine to move freely between rounded, flat, and even arched.
The thoracic part of our back is the longest part of our spine and includes the vertebrae between the neck and the lower back. It’s capable of multiple movements in different planes, as it can help flex and round the body forward, extend, rotate, and laterally flex (side bend).
In dance, the mobility within your thoracic spine helps with spotting, épaulement, contractions, and spine isolations. In the gym, thoracic extension is important for the health and safety of your overhead lifts.
If you sit hunched over at a desk all day, stand with poor posture, or even sit looking at your phone with a hunchback, your thoracic flexion and extension are taking a hit.
So how do you ensure that hours editing self-tapes, typing at your side hustle, and days spent looking at your phone train your thoracic flexion and extension into extinction?
Simple, you stretch it!
How to Work Through Thoracic Flexion and Extension
First, kneel on the ground, sitting on your heels.
Next, reach your arms forward and tuck your fingers underneath your knees.
Now, in this position, gently round your spine as you pull up with your hands. Having those hands locked underneath your knees should give you a bit of resistance to press against as you stretch.
Then, slowly unlock your hands, and press them into your thighs as you arch your back and look up.
Oscillate between these two positions, flowing freely between them.
Kneeling This Way Hurts, What Now?
If kneeling like this bugs your knees, you can practice thoracic flexion and extension in an L-sit (on your tush with your legs extended straight in front of you).
From here, flex your feet, reach your arms forward, and contract forward. Then, reach your arms back as you arch your spine up and back.
You can also do this variation at a desk, or in a chair!
Want a reference? Check out this video!
So, do you think this thoracic flexion and extension exercise might help you in your day-to-day life? I think I’ll go take a break from writing and do a few right now, just to loosen up a bit!
Want more tips like these? Don’t forget to tune in every Tuesday! And if you just can’t wait that long, check out these popular training tips from the blog: Training Tip Tuesday: Banded Spider Crawls, Exceed Your Own Expectations: How to Use the Principle of Progression to Overcome Plateaus, Training Tip Tuesday: Confidence Corner, the Gymitmidation Secret
