Thoracic Mobility

Midback mobility drills to open up rotation and extension, reduce stiffness from sitting, and support healthier shoulders, neck, and rib cage movement.

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Thoracic Spine 8 exercise videos • Great as a warm-up or daily reset

Foam Rolling Midback Beginner

Simple thoracic rolling over a foam roller to ease stiffness between the shoulder blades and prep the midback for more active rotation and extension work.

Half-Kneeling Thoracic Rotation Beginner–Intermediate

Half-kneeling trunk rotation to separate hip and midback motion—useful for throwers, golfers, and anyone who feels “locked up” when turning.

Kneeling Thoracic Rotation Beginner

Hands-and-knees rotation drill focusing on turning through the midback while keeping the low back quiet and hips relatively stable.

Standing Thoracic Extension Beginner

A simple, no-equipment alternative to traditional thoracic prayer—improves mid-back extension while also opening the shoulders, so it’s easy to use anywhere.

Thoracic Extension/Rotation Exercise Beginner–Intermediate

Combined extension and rotation over a support to restore midback motion needed for overhead lifting and comfortable posture work.

Thoracic Prayers Beginner

Elbows on a bench with hips back to open the lats and midback—great before overhead sessions or as a reset after desk and phone time.

Thoracic Rotation Open Book Beginner

Classic side-lying open-book rotation to gently improve thoracic mobility while keeping the low back supported and the movement slow and controlled.

Thread The Needle Beginner

Reach one arm under the body from quadruped, then rotate back out to loosen the midback and shoulder in a simple, low-load setup.

Thoracic Mobility Exercises for Rotation, Posture & Shoulder Mechanics

This thoracic mobility library includes free thoracic mobility exercise videos focused on mid-back rotation, extension, posture, rib cage motion, and shoulder mechanics. These drills are designed for athletes, active adults, rotational sport athletes, overhead athletes, and anyone who feels stiff through the upper back.

Browse open book variations, thoracic rotation drills, extension mobility exercises, foam roller progressions, and movement drills that can help improve mid-back mobility without forcing motion through the neck or low back. These exercises can support throwing, lifting, running posture, golf, tennis, baseball, softball, and general movement quality.

The thoracic mobility videos on this page are created by the doctors at Elite Performance Institute in Naperville, IL, and are used to support shoulder function, rotational control, posture, mobility work, and performance-based rehab for active individuals throughout the Chicagoland area.