These Mobility Moves for Your Upper Back Will Save You From Posture-Related Pain

It’s a common adage in the functional fitness community that our bodies adapt to the positions in which we spend the most time. For cyclists, one of these positions is a forward rounding of the upper back as our hands reach down toward our handlebars.

This rounding of the back and shoulders gets more pronounced the more aggressive the rider’s position, and the benefits of this posture on the bike (such as better aerodynamics and bike handling) come to an end as soon as the ride’s over. By then, your upper back might feel too tight to stand up straight (I'm speaking from experience about this, and it's not pretty).

The hours we spend looking down at our phones and computers put us in a similar posture and can contribute to and reinforce this rounding of the upper back and shoulders, which can become chronic over time.

With this rounded posture often comes tightness in the upper back, along with a loss of mobility. This likely means you lack what's known as thoracic mobility, which is essentially a technical term for a really tight upper back. (The thoracic spine is the upper part of your spine, starting just below the rib cage and ending at the base of your neck.)

Officially, a tight or “stuck“ upper back is known as thoracic immobility. Having solid thoracic mobility means you can stand up straight (and maintain that tall posture), as well as bend forward and backward, side to side, and rotate through the upper spine with ease and comfort. If you have a hard time doing this, your upper back could use some love.

Jay De Jesus, former pro-mountain bike racer, massage therapist, and physical therapy assistant at Robins Rehabilitation West says that the postural hallmarks of thoracic immobility are the head protruding out in front of the body and a forward rounding of the shoulders (a lack of thoracic mobility can also negative affect shoulder mobility, as well).

“This chronic forward lean can negate the shock absorbing function of the spine, and result in scapular [or shoulder] mobility issues and nerve impingements distally, worst case, as symptoms worsen,” De Jesus tells Bicycling.

“Because cycling involves a relatively static position of the rib cage, along with constant contraction of the muscles around the rib cage to stabilize the posture, cycling commonly results in thoracic mobility issues,” says Christine Koth, author of Tight Hip, Twisted Core: The Key to Unresolved Pain.

It comes as no surprise, then, that studies show cyclists are at higher risk of postural distortion compared to non-athletes. The excessively rounded upper back even earned the unofficial nickname of “cyclist’s hump.”

Lack of thoracic mobility isn’t just a common concern among those of us who love to ride, though. It also plagues individuals who work desk jobs day in and out, says De Jesus.

In serious cases, thoracic immobility, when left unaddressed, can lead to a condition called thoracic hyper-kyphosis—a more serious body misalignment that leads to a drastic hunched-over position. The good news: You can remedy thoracic immobility long before it gets to that point.

Eventually, a tight upper back and a lack of thoracic mobility can lead to more serious issues on and off the bike that no rider wants to deal with, such as upper and lower back pain, neck pain, hand numbness, and limitations in shoulder function.

“Our spine is designed to move fluidly together,” explains Koth. “That means when your neck rotates to the side your thoracic spine should participate to some degree. Similarly, when you bend down and your low back is flexing, your thoracic spine should participate. When you develop thoracic mobility issues, the thoracic spine does not move and participate with the rest of the spine as much. This leaves the neck and the lower back to do more work, which can lead to the development of issues in the top and bottom of the spine.”

Beyond aches and pains, one of the surprising effects of thoracic immobility is how it impacts our ability to breathe deeply. “When your rib cage is mobile, your ability to fully inhale and exhale is improved mechanically,” Koth says. But when it’s not? It’s harder to take a full breath—and that’s a pretty important part of our cardio-heavy sport.

Another factor that hinders our ability to take a deep breath is the forward head posture that usually accompanies thoracic immobility. Research on 15 healthy males found that a forward head posture had a significantly negative effect on respiratory function.

Core strength and incorporating the right strength-training exercises are key to helping your upper spine stay mobile, but what if your upper back just feels…stuck?

Before you jump right into strength moves, it’s key to address the limitations in your upper back mobility to gain full range of motion, and then maintain that range of motion. “Even doing these exercises once a week can be enough to keep that region of your body mobile and optimized so that your entire body has its best chance to work as a unit and you can get that big breath when you need it,” says Koth.

To keep the body working as a unit—and make sure your thoracic spine moves well—De Jesus says you need a routine that includes cervical, thoracic, and lumber extension (those are three of the main sections of the spine), along with shoulder and chest stretching, hip flexor stretching, and deep core stabilization.

How to use this list: To hit those main points, practice the exercises below once a week (more if you want to gain the benefits sooner). Do the reps listed below for each exercise.

You can incorporate these moves into a warmup or cooldown prior to or after a ride or workout, or as their own workout when you need a break from your desk.

Here, I demonstrate each exercise so you can learn the proper form. You will need a mobility ball, two massage balls, and a foam roller. An exercise mat is optional.

Ball Upper Back Release

1. Lie faceup with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place two myofascial release balls (I love the Acumobility Ball for this) on either side of spine, right in between shoulder blades.
3. Cross arms over chest, tuck chin to chest, and lift hips a few inches off the ground.
4. In a smooth, sweeping motion raise bent arms up overhead, lowering them to the floor behind you.
5. Swipe the arms around and down sides, as though you’re making a snow angel.
6. Bring arms back across chest. Lower hips.
7. Repeat 3-5 times.
8. Move the balls about four inches higher, and repeat 3-5 times.
9. Move the balls a third time to a spot about four inches higher and repeat 3-5 times.

Ball Mid Back Release

1. Lie faceup with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place two myofascial release balls (like the Acumobility Ball) on either side of spine, at the bottom of ribcage.
3. Extend arms up toward the ceiling with palms facing each other.
4. Take a deep inhale, and while exhaling crunch up, lifting head, neck, and shoulders off the floor, reaching for the ceiling with finger tips.
5. Slowly lower back down with control on an inhale.
6. Repeat 3-5 times.
7. Move the balls about three inches higher and repeat 3-5 times.
8. Move the balls a third time to a spot near the bottom of shoulder blades and repeat 3-5 times.

Double Lacrosse Ball Spinal Erector Release

1. Lie faceup with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place the two massage balls against back, so that the balls touch the muscles on either side of the spine but not the spine itself.
3. Lift hips and head and gently roll along the length of the spine, pausing for at least 90 seconds on each tight spot you find. Take deep breaths as you move.

Child’s Pose With Shoulder Lifts on Foam Roller

1. Start on all fours with a foam roller placed horizontally in front of you.
2. Place both forearms on foam roller and roll it away from you as you lower upper body toward the floor, keeping the knees hip-distance apart.
3. Drop the hips back onto heels into child’s pose, keeping both forearms on foam roller.
4. Draw the shoulder blades down the back.
5. Lift one arm off the foam roller. Pause, then place it back down. Repeat on other side.
6. Continue alternating for 5-10 reps per side.

Thoracic Extension With Foam Roller

1. Lie faceup with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place a foam roller behind you, horizontal to torso.
3. Lie back against the foam roller, with it placed just below shoulder blades.
4. Let head and shoulders fall behind the foam roller, creating an arch in the upper spine.
5. Lift arms and place them overhead, on floor.
6. Hold here for 1-2 minutes, taking deep inhales and exhales.

Chest Opener on Foam Roller

1. Lie faceup on a 36-inch foam roller, placed vertically along the spine, so hips, back, and head are supported.
2. Relax shoulders and pull shoulder blades down back.
3. Make sure low back isn’t arched and is in light contact with the roller.
4. From this position, open both arms out to the sides, keeping elbows bent at a 90-degree angle, with hands about in line with ears.
5. Let gravity make arms deadweight as the stretch opens up the front of the shoulders and the chest.
6. Gently roll left to right to deepen the stretch.
7. Hold here for 1-2 minutes, taking deep inhales and exhales.

Thoracic CARS

1. Start kneeling, knees hip-width apart, chest tall, and core engaged.
2. Cross arms over chest. Rotate ribcage as though you were trying to hula hoop with upper body, drawing big imaginary circles with ribcage.
3. Keep hips still and focus the movement entirely in upper back.
4. Keep shoulders relaxed and move with breath.
5. Perform 10 circles in each direction.

Kneeling Chest Opener to Spinal Flexion

1. Start kneeling, knees hip-width apart.
2. Arch the upper back and stick out chest, dropping head back, reaching chin up to ceiling, and bringing hands behind you and placing them on the floor behind feet.
3. Pause for a moment and take a deep breath.
4. Gently sweep arms along sides until hands are on the floor in front of you, rounding the upper back forward.
5. Circle arms back to return to the chest opener position.
6. Repeat 5-10 times.

Quadruped Thoracic Rotation

1. Start on all fours, shoulders over wrists and knees under hips.
2. Place right hand behind head, elbow out to the side.
3. Maintain at long, neutral spine.
4. Gently rotate ribcage to the right, as you rotate the upper body so elbow is pointing toward the ceiling.
5. Slowly rotate the ribcage to left, bringing elbow toward left hand. Avoid pulling the shoulders up toward ears.
6. Repeat 5-10 times. Then switch sides.

Seated Eagle Arms Dynamic Stretch

1. Start kneeling, hips resting on heels.
2. Lift both elbows up in front of you, until the are a little below shoulder height.
3. Wrap right arm under left arm until palms touch.
4. Relax shoulders.
5. Arch the upper back and lift elbows up toward the ceiling, feeling the stretch across the entire upper back.
6. Slowly bring elbows down toward chest as you round upper spine and drop head in front of you.
7. Repeat 5-10 times. Then switch arms so left arm is under right arm and repeat.

Dolphin Press

1. Start on all fours, knees under hips and forearms on the floor, shoulders over elbows.
2. Keeping forearms flat on the floor, extend knees and lift hips, extending legs straight with soft knees.
3. Drop head toward the floor, forming an upside down V shape with body.
4. Take a big inhale and exhale, then slowly lower knees back to floor, gliding shoulder blades down the back.
5. Repeat 5-10 times.
   

Natascha Grief, NASM-CPT, -CES, -CNC, -BCS, -SFC

Health & Fitness Editor

Natascha Grief is Bicycling’s Health & Fitness Editor. She started in the cycling industry as a bike mechanic a couple of decades ago, earning a couple pro-mechanic certifications and her USA Cycling Race Mechanic license. She went on to apprentice for framebuilder Brent Steelman in her hometown of Redwood City, California before spending several years working for both large and not-so-large cycling brands. She then switched gears and industries to earn multiple personal training certifications while honing her skills as a trainer and coach, specializing in functional training, corrective exercise, and body positive personal training. She began contributing regularly to Runner’s World and Bicycling as a freelance writer in 2020, and joined the editorial staff of Bicycling in 2022.