Many years ago an occupational therapist told me that thoracic mobility is one of the most important things you can do as you age. She explained, “Once you can’t wipe your own backside, I don’t care how much your family loves you, the chances of them putting you in a nursing home go up exponentially each day.”
I never comment on videos, but I had too because this genuinely changed my life. I’m 17 year old soccer player and I was playing at a high level MLS academy when I hurt my hip. I have been struggling with hip pain for over a year now and struggled with shoulder pain and winged scapulas for close to 2 to 3 years. Recently, I tore my groin completely and had surgery to repair it. Even after surgery it wasn’t really getting better and didn’t feel right. I started looking through your channel to fix my shoulders and I found this and another thoracic spine mobility video. I did these exercises and when I went to do my rehab for my groin, it felt completely normal again and also it completely fixed my shoulders. I had no ideas what it was like for my muscles to work normally. Thank you so much. I can’t put into words how happy I am. This is only after a couple days of doing the exercises, but hopefully I can make a progression fully back to soccer.
The first time I did the stretch from 4:23 something popped gently in my middle back. The pain and stiffness I had for the last few weeks is gone. Thank you so much! I'll doing those on a regular basis.
These mobility exercises truly make a huge difference. I have suffered with a super stiff cement-like mid back for years and recently started doing these mobility drills plus a few others and the difference was almost immediate.
Cement concrete like mid back for as well been deadset years of tightness and pain .. makes it hard to weight train ! Or do anything .. can you help me lol
@@AztechNation weight training as well stretching goes hand in hand. Your muscles around the back needs to be strong and stable. I would recommend to hire a qualified personal trainer. They be able to make a program for you and test the muscle imbalances etc. I suffered back pain for 21 years. I started my program when I turned 42. I'm virtually pain free
I was able to lay down totally flat without something under my head for the first time in probably 15 years thanks to your videos. My back has been a horror my entire life, I’m really trying to fix that and I am so happy to have found you.
Everything you put out is excellent, and contributes to what I call "body intelligence". Love all your content, the clear descriptions, directions and delivery! Many thanks for sharing your e exercise genius with us!
I can not thank you enough for this video and the stretches and exercises. Immediately after doing these about 30 minutes later I can feel the tension in my rhomboids and traps ease and my shoulders don't feel as rounded anymore. The amount of pain that has been relieved almost makes me want to cry. THANK YOU !
@@harrishanif3273 thanks for asking! The intense tightness I was feeling at the time disappeared after a couple of days, which may well have been helped by the exercises. They definitely feel like they target the area. I think what causes it is sitting at low tables while eating, which involves rounding the thoracic area a lot while looking down at the food
I have recently been struggling with my overhead squats and have come to believe that the issue is my thoracic spine preventing me from doing anything decent. I almost always have pain in my upper back area around my shoulder blade area that causes me to feel a little stiff. I tried a couple of these stretches and could feel the difference immediately! I'm not saying that it's a magic fix-all remedy, but you know that I'll be adding it to my warm up routine in the hope it will improve my squat. Thank you so much for this.
It is imperative that you have the roller for the rotation thing with the pvc pipe. I did not use a roller and I was standing. I got injured because I was rotating w the lower back.
The #SquatUclub is now on TH-cam! As soon as I upload a new video, "like" it and comment with the hashtag #SquatUclub ASAP. I'll pick amongst those who do so within 1 hour of the video going live and pick one winner to start working on whatever you need help with (squat technique, an achy hip, help with back pain during deadlifts, etc). You must be SUBSCRIBED to my TH-cam channel for a chance to win. Turning on notifications by clicking the little bell next to the SUBSCRIBE button on my channel will make sure you can be first in line to win every time! I’ll reply under the winners comment - so make sure you keep up on your notifications!
As a runner who is training for a marathon, these foam rollers th-cam.com/users/postUgkx9XSsjzA4f84VmhBCHlyhec7XILIxennL are really good for sore and tight muscles. This one is a good size (mine is the purple, 36 inches) not too big but big enough to work and roll both my legs at the same time - I took a photo holding the roller next to me just to provide a better representation of its size. I noticed some reviewers who complained that this is, “just a foam noodle”… and yes, that’s exactly what it is. It’s a high density foam roller. It is absolutely NOT the same consistency/strength/durability/ or texture as a ‘pool noodle’ thought and I disagree entirely with those that say so. As a former collegiate athlete and marathon runner, I’m comfortably giving this roller 5 stars. It’s lightweight and durable and does just what I need it to do at a budget-friendly price. Overall, I have no complaints and am happy with it!
Thank you so much for the explanations! I strained my right QL recently and couldn't work out why - realised I've been foam rolling the wrong way for the past year 🙄 so the lumbar spine was compensating for the thoracic spine
I just started learning weightlifting recently and found out I don't have as much mobility in the jerk position as I should. Will definitely try this out. Thanks!
Ian Co I only found out that your upper back was supposed to have movement a couple months ago, also because of weightlifting. 😅 Mine was so stiff that my PT thought the joints might be fused together. Took a lot of work to get some mobility there but the progress is great.
I find it helpful to extend the thoracic spine only to open the first two ribs, which allows my neck and shoulders to go backward. Extending the mid-back leaves my shoulders forward -- not a good thing. I like the rotation movements of this and other videos, which can only be done without extending the back. I used to overextend my middle and low back to compensate for my forward neck, which, in turn, was caused by my collapsed first two ribs.
Hi, I love your channel! You’re literally one of the best if not the best. Can I please ask if you can recommend some specialist in London who I could see in person, who could help with my upper back imbalances? I have chronic upper back pain and I’m not that old (38), I literally feel helpless with that pain… tried many specialists but nothing worked
Thanks so much for this! I've had chronic lower neck/upper back pain since middle school. Now 35 and have been filming myself doing some calisthenics, noticing that my upper back is constantly rounded in a lot of exercises. Thanks for the explanation on how to test this, as well as the link between rotation and extension in thoracic spine mobility! I guess I'll finally pick up a foam roller after hating on them for too long :D
I have severe osteoporosis with fractures at T 6 and 7. My upper back kills me, but I don't know if it's because the muscles trying to support my weak bones are over-stressed, I don't even have muscles to support my weak bones any more, or what. I see the foam roller and think, "That seems like it would feel really good!" but then again, I apparently fractured those vertebrae simply from "poor posture" (I'm sorry, I do hair, it's pretty hard to have good posture when your arms are in front of you and half the time your left arm is pointed at the ceiling and you're bending from the side...and frankly, I think my back IS pretty strong, because I'm doing it (for limited hours, though,) with bad bones; I suspect a healthy back would be pretty wracked after hours on end of that kind of maneuvering 😂) do...I dunno. Might try it anyway.
I just tried this mobility exercises omg the difference I feel is amazing thank you so much I have some front left rib soreness and swelling i dont know if that’s fine but other than that my symptoms is got so much better!!!
this is excellent. My problem is that most of my movements come out of my lower back but I dont really notice it. Just slipped a lumbar disc a few weeks ago and now have to learn how to move differently. And STICK with it
This is great, I am going to implement this. I very tight on my left side. I am so glad you guys kept the little hiccup with the camera man I think he almost tripped idk. But for some reason I liked that you kept it. Lol
I always get pain in my thoracic spine while doing mobility stuff. On the other hand; why is the thoracic spine so stiff all the time? There should be a stability problem too, otherwise the spine won't get stuck all the time.
Thank you so much. I needed these exercises to incorporate a better body roll for butterfly so that my legs have a stronger kick. This will definitely help me swim faster
These exercises make a huge difference when I test and re test. The prayer stretch on the foam roller is hurting my shoulder a little though. Anybody else experience this?
My squat stinks. My one rep max is like half of my dead lift but I am decent in the leg press. I am starting to freak out and this looks promising because I think my problems might be fully due to mobility issues. When I did the foam roller stretch for the first time, one of my vertebrae connection cracked so loud my dog got scared! :)
once again, excellent & practical explication. now I can better know, “where I’am”, where to expend more “work” & I understand better, the far-reaching consequences, on other Routine Exercises that I do. Thank Aaron, for this video & knowledge sharing! .. after only a couple of tries, I could feel a ‘happy difference’ ;-) Jose
Wait wait wait wait wait WAIT A HOT DAMN MINUTE !! Are you telling me that increasing my lateral rotation and thoracic spine twisting... will also unlock thoracic extension ?
I did the cross mark test and after bracing my abdomen I wasn’t able to go past 30 degrees. Also turning to the left gave me a pain sensation behind my left shoulder plate. When I did the elbow between the knees I wasn’t able to open my chest like in the video plus pain sensation on the left side. Two days ago I did my chest workout and my left shoulder was uncomfortable.
Does the t-spine also inhibit you from letting the barbell sit lower on your back? Pressing seems alright, it's the lowering that's difficult. All mobility tests seem to pass except for the lowering of the arms against the wall.
Static stretches are related to acute lost of strength and that's related to a higher risk of injury. With this being said, how can they be implemented in a session? Thank you
This is a video I needed today. I have a request for a video. My forearms have been taking a bit of punishment in my first year of trying stuff like log press. Its affecting flexor and extensor ulnaris muscles, making pressing very painful in many cases. Any helpful tricks>?
Many years ago an occupational therapist told me that thoracic mobility is one of the most important things you can do as you age. She explained, “Once you can’t wipe your own backside, I don’t care how much your family loves you, the chances of them putting you in a nursing home go up exponentially each day.”
That’s why you get a bidet. Helps with cleaning
@@TInyK12Kind of a smart ass answer...but you're absolutely right. Get a bidet or a rag on a stick..because a nursing home will defintely k!ll ya.
@@TInyK12Amen. Haha. I can't live without mine.
@TInyK12 especially the electric blow dry one's, then your bootyhole good to go 👍
@@TInyK12cant dry yourself then
I never comment on videos, but I had too because this genuinely changed my life. I’m 17 year old soccer player and I was playing at a high level MLS academy when I hurt my hip. I have been struggling with hip pain for over a year now and struggled with shoulder pain and winged scapulas for close to 2 to 3 years. Recently, I tore my groin completely and had surgery to repair it. Even after surgery it wasn’t really getting better and didn’t feel right. I started looking through your channel to fix my shoulders and I found this and another thoracic spine mobility video. I did these exercises and when I went to do my rehab for my groin, it felt completely normal again and also it completely fixed my shoulders. I had no ideas what it was like for my muscles to work normally. Thank you so much. I can’t put into words how happy I am. This is only after a couple days of doing the exercises, but hopefully I can make a progression fully back to soccer.
This is awesome, thank you. What a time to be alive, that people can access such help on the fly, anywhere in the world.
Testing
3:00 and 4:10
Exercises
5:30 Foam Rolling
6:45 Prayer Stretch
8:06 Box-T-Spine Stretch
8:55 Lat Variation
10:37 Seated Rotation and Side Bend
Teja Chmay legend
The first time I did the stretch from 4:23 something popped gently in my middle back. The pain and stiffness I had for the last few weeks is gone. Thank you so much! I'll doing those on a regular basis.
How u doin now man what u advice
great results!
what the heck i read this comment and did it and mine popped too 😂
These mobility exercises truly make a huge difference. I have suffered with a super stiff cement-like mid back for years and recently started doing these mobility drills plus a few others and the difference was almost immediate.
Well done
What others?
Cement concrete like mid back for as well been deadset years of tightness and pain .. makes it hard to weight train ! Or do anything .. can you help me lol
@@AztechNation weight training as well stretching goes hand in hand. Your muscles around the back needs to be strong and stable. I would recommend to hire a qualified personal trainer. They be able to make a program for you and test the muscle imbalances etc. I suffered back pain for 21 years. I started my program when I turned 42. I'm virtually pain free
What others!
I was able to lay down totally flat without something under my head for the first time in probably 15 years thanks to your videos. My back has been a horror my entire life, I’m really trying to fix that and I am so happy to have found you.
Everything you put out is excellent, and contributes to what I call "body intelligence". Love all your content, the clear descriptions, directions and delivery! Many thanks for sharing your e exercise genius with us!
I can not thank you enough for this video and the stretches and exercises. Immediately after doing these about 30 minutes later I can feel the tension in my rhomboids and traps ease and my shoulders don't feel as rounded anymore. The amount of pain that has been relieved almost makes me want to cry. THANK YOU !
For any type of spine issue kindly do watch this video
th-cam.com/video/qioO9aiozjk/w-d-xo.html
I’m looking for that. It’s so damn tight and uncomfortable. Fingers crossed the exercises work!
@@EmperorsNewWardrobehow did you get on?
@@harrishanif3273 thanks for asking! The intense tightness I was feeling at the time disappeared after a couple of days, which may well have been helped by the exercises. They definitely feel like they target the area. I think what causes it is sitting at low tables while eating, which involves rounding the thoracic area a lot while looking down at the food
I have recently been struggling with my overhead squats and have come to believe that the issue is my thoracic spine preventing me from doing anything decent. I almost always have pain in my upper back area around my shoulder blade area that causes me to feel a little stiff. I tried a couple of these stretches and could feel the difference immediately! I'm not saying that it's a magic fix-all remedy, but you know that I'll be adding it to my warm up routine in the hope it will improve my squat. Thank you so much for this.
It is imperative that you have the roller for the rotation thing with the pvc pipe. I did not use a roller and I was standing. I got injured because I was rotating w the lower back.
My thoracic spine has been sore for months. These stretches have helped immensely!
The #SquatUclub is now on TH-cam! As soon as I upload a new video, "like" it and comment with the hashtag #SquatUclub ASAP. I'll pick amongst those who do so within 1 hour of the video going live and pick one winner to start working on whatever you need help with (squat technique, an achy hip, help with back pain during deadlifts, etc). You must be SUBSCRIBED to my TH-cam channel for a chance to win. Turning on notifications by clicking the little bell next to the SUBSCRIBE button on my channel will make sure you can be first in line to win every time!
I’ll reply under the winners comment - so make sure you keep up on your notifications!
Today's winner is @YourWellWisher
Thank you so much for this video Aaron! My back felt the best in a few months after doing the last strech for a few times
Brilliant video and that last exercise is the best stretch I have found to date! Cheers dude 👊🏼
I’ve had one go at these and my back feels so much looser already, thanks very much
As a runner who is training for a marathon, these foam rollers th-cam.com/users/postUgkx9XSsjzA4f84VmhBCHlyhec7XILIxennL are really good for sore and tight muscles. This one is a good size (mine is the purple, 36 inches) not too big but big enough to work and roll both my legs at the same time - I took a photo holding the roller next to me just to provide a better representation of its size. I noticed some reviewers who complained that this is, “just a foam noodle”… and yes, that’s exactly what it is. It’s a high density foam roller. It is absolutely NOT the same consistency/strength/durability/ or texture as a ‘pool noodle’ thought and I disagree entirely with those that say so. As a former collegiate athlete and marathon runner, I’m comfortably giving this roller 5 stars. It’s lightweight and durable and does just what I need it to do at a budget-friendly price. Overall, I have no complaints and am happy with it!
Thank you so much for the explanations! I strained my right QL recently and couldn't work out why - realised I've been foam rolling the wrong way for the past year 🙄 so the lumbar spine was compensating for the thoracic spine
in qigong also the first thing is to keep your spine straight - it helps heal so many issues in the body
Hip Flexor, TFL, tight hamstring, please. Thx.
Banded distractions for hip mobility
This channel is SO good.
I just started learning weightlifting recently and found out I don't have as much mobility in the jerk position as I should. Will definitely try this out. Thanks!
Ian Co I only found out that your upper back was supposed to have movement a couple months ago, also because of weightlifting. 😅 Mine was so stiff that my PT thought the joints might be fused together. Took a lot of work to get some mobility there but the progress is great.
Excellent articulation of T-Spine management!
You are a legend, you have helped me so much
one of my favorite fitness youtubers
I find it helpful to extend the thoracic spine only to open the first two ribs, which allows my neck and shoulders to go backward. Extending the mid-back leaves my shoulders forward -- not a good thing. I like the rotation movements of this and other videos, which can only be done without extending the back. I used to overextend my middle and low back to compensate for my forward neck, which, in turn, was caused by my collapsed first two ribs.
where are the first two ribs? How to locate them?
Hi, I love your channel! You’re literally one of the best if not the best. Can I please ask if you can recommend some specialist in London who I could see in person, who could help with my upper back imbalances? I have chronic upper back pain and I’m not that old (38), I literally feel helpless with that pain… tried many specialists but nothing worked
Thanks for the great demo of each move...you are one of the best
Brilliant! I am so thankful I discovered your channel. Thank you so much!
Thank you SO much for this!!! This video is exactly what I (and my back) needed. Thank you so much.
Thanks so much for this! I've had chronic lower neck/upper back pain since middle school. Now 35 and have been filming myself doing some calisthenics, noticing that my upper back is constantly rounded in a lot of exercises. Thanks for the explanation on how to test this, as well as the link between rotation and extension in thoracic spine mobility! I guess I'll finally pick up a foam roller after hating on them for too long :D
Excellent. Thank you, sir!
My back had been killing me after the last two days of work, did a few of these stretches with my foam roller and holy shift I feel like a new man
I have severe osteoporosis with fractures at T 6 and 7. My upper back kills me, but I don't know if it's because the muscles trying to support my weak bones are over-stressed, I don't even have muscles to support my weak bones any more, or what. I see the foam roller and think, "That seems like it would feel really good!" but then again, I apparently fractured those vertebrae simply from "poor posture" (I'm sorry, I do hair, it's pretty hard to have good posture when your arms are in front of you and half the time your left arm is pointed at the ceiling and you're bending from the side...and frankly, I think my back IS pretty strong, because I'm doing it (for limited hours, though,) with bad bones; I suspect a healthy back would be pretty wracked after hours on end of that kind of maneuvering 😂) do...I dunno. Might try it anyway.
I just tried this mobility exercises omg the difference I feel is amazing thank you so much I have some front left rib soreness and swelling i dont know if that’s fine but other than that my symptoms is got so much better!!!
You fully deserve a tip from every positive comment.
Great and informative knowledge ...!! Depth information about exercise......respect always from india !!
Thanks Aaron 😊 perfect explanation!!
I just realised how stiff my thoracic spine is... thanks!!!
#SquatUclub We need a video for stiff necks (: Thank you Dr.Aaron
Great video more of these sir
Thankyou so much! This was amazing!
So much helpful 😁Great job Man! Keep doing things💪🏻
this is excellent. My problem is that most of my movements come out of my lower back but I dont really notice it. Just slipped a lumbar disc a few weeks ago and now have to learn how to move differently. And STICK with it
Ι hope to fix my neck pain with that exercises!stiffness f me elevator scapular!
Great explanation... Thx for that👍
You're welcome
This is VERY helpful. 🎉
Excellent! Thanks.
Thank you so much!
This was great man
Thank you!
Excellent video.
Great stuff!Keep it up Aaron!
This is awesome, thank you!
Good mobility exercises, thanks!
Omg, ive lifted all my years with an APT. Let my lower back to all the work. No wonder my upper back feels flat and painful
Thanks for the info 👍
please do exercises where we can progressively strengthen the thoracic spine
This is great, I am going to implement this. I very tight on my left side.
I am so glad you guys kept the little hiccup with the camera man I think he almost tripped idk. But for some reason I liked that you kept it. Lol
AWESOME VERY USEFUL THANKS
Absolutely quality my man
Wow that first foam roller exercise made a huge difference
As always great video
I always get pain in my thoracic spine while doing mobility stuff. On the other hand; why is the thoracic spine so stiff all the time? There should be a stability problem too, otherwise the spine won't get stuck all the time.
Thank you so much. I needed these exercises to incorporate a better body roll for butterfly so that my legs have a stronger kick. This will definitely help me swim faster
Thanks a lot very informative just ordered your book from Amazon
6:10 small motion only
Not loving lumbar
And feel if there’s a place on thoracic that’s not moving very well
And afterward retest
These exercises make a huge difference when I test and re test. The prayer stretch on the foam roller is hurting my shoulder a little though. Anybody else experience this?
Thank you very much!!!!!
Awesome!!!!
No wonder I can't do a straight handstand. Severely lacking here. Thanks for the exercises!
Thanks for reading my thoughts on what I needed to work next Aaron and keep up the great work :)
Great stuff my man! Been looking for some new mobility shangers for a while.
Thoracic Spine Mobility (Snatch/ C&J/ OH-Press)
_Prayer Stretch ----- 3 rep (5s hold)
_PVC BOX Thoracic Spine Stretch ----- 3 rep (5s hold)
_Seated Rotation & Side Bend ----- 3 rotate/ each side
My squat stinks. My one rep max is like half of my dead lift but I am decent in the leg press. I am starting to freak out and this looks promising because I think my problems might be fully due to mobility issues. When I did the foam roller stretch for the first time, one of my vertebrae connection cracked so loud my dog got scared! :)
Amazing video!
Quick question: how can we be sure with the testing exercises, that it is not your lower back, that compensates for the thoracic spine?
your lower back is "locked" when you have the hips flexed at 90 deg or more, including sitting cross legged.
once again, excellent & practical explication. now I can better know, “where I’am”, where to expend more “work” & I understand better, the far-reaching consequences, on other Routine Exercises that I do. Thank Aaron, for this video & knowledge sharing!
.. after only a couple of tries, I could feel a ‘happy difference’ ;-) Jose
Wait wait wait wait wait WAIT A HOT DAMN MINUTE !!
Are you telling me that increasing my lateral rotation and thoracic spine twisting... will also unlock thoracic extension ?
yep
Thank you for this!!
Thanks Doc
I did the cross mark test and after bracing my abdomen I wasn’t able to go past 30 degrees. Also turning to the left gave me a pain sensation behind my left shoulder plate. When I did the elbow between the knees I wasn’t able to open my chest like in the video plus pain sensation on the left side. Two days ago I did my chest workout and my left shoulder was uncomfortable.
Just flu d this and the exercises are awesome. 👌🏼🙏🏼👏🏻💖💖💖
I love my foam roller 💪
thanks it helps a lot :)
When do you recommend doing mobility drills like this? Before workout? On a rest day?
Before and after workout and on rest days as well
Every day
Gym Bro 4000 basically
Regularly all the time
Excellent!
Day 1 done
Does the t-spine also inhibit you from letting the barbell sit lower on your back? Pressing seems alright, it's the lowering that's difficult. All mobility tests seem to pass except for the lowering of the arms against the wall.
He’s because it dependes how much of angle in your shoulder blades you have internal-external
What are we stretching? Are we stretching the muscles?
5:21
7:01
8:09
10:40
Static stretches are related to acute lost of strength and that's related to a higher risk of injury. With this being said, how can they be implemented in a session?
Thank you
Holy shit my left side just felt immediately relieved of something that was insane
If you had to pick one of these exercises, which one is best? Trying to squeeze them all into my routine might be tough. Thanks mate!
Could this be causing low back pain because if I have limited movement in my thoracic spine the low back takes unwanted motion?
Reps and Sets? Would be really helpful
This is a video I needed today. I have a request for a video. My forearms have been taking a bit of punishment in my first year of trying stuff like log press. Its affecting flexor and extensor ulnaris muscles, making pressing very painful in many cases. Any helpful tricks>?
U are great 👍🏻
Great video, like always. Could you make a video of how to stretch the twins, hamstrings, low back and reduce the pain of sciatica? Thank you.
I have to lean at the end of my couch and grab a chair as I hang upside down to feel the stretch
Excellent