HOW: Get set-up with your butt supported on the ground with a foam roller supporting your mid back. The goal is to make a ‘fulcrum’ that we can use to mobilize your mid back. Position the foam roller in your mid back and drive the upper half of your back “over” the foam roller while exhaling. Move the object to different areas of your mid back to mobilize multiple segments.

 

FEEL: You should feel moderate amounts of pressure in your mid back. If you feel a “pop”, that is totally normal and okay.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not put the foam roller on your lower back, just your upper back. Keep your core engaged and do not overly arch in your lower back.

HOW: Sit back on your heels with your knees on the ground and your toes pushing into the ground. Rest your arms in front of you on a swiss ball. Roll the ball out with your arms as you take your chest to the ground. Hold that stretch when you can’t roll the ball out any further for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your mid back. 

 

COMPENSATION: Don’t roll to either side, roll the swissball out straight in front. Stay seated on your heels to get the best stretch.

HOW: Get set up first by placing a barbell around thigh height on a rack. You can also perform this exercise on a box, bench, or any other object around that height. Then get down on both knees and place the end of your triceps, just before your elbows, onto the barbell or box. Scoot your knees back so you are comfortable. Drive your chest down to the floor as far as you can. Many times you will have to lower your head as well to get your chest lower, which is normal.

 

FEEL: You should feel a huge stretch in your upper back, and even sometimes under your arm pits and your triceps region.

 

COMPENSATION: The key is to arch your back with this stretch. Do not just simply drive your chest to the floor.

HOW: Get set-up on your hands and knees, hinge back at your hips until your butt and heels are touching or close to it- this will round your low back slightly. While keeping the rest of your body still, round your mid back followed by slowly arching your mid back. Repeat

 

FEEL: When you round your back, you should feel like you’re pushing your chest away from the ground by pushing through your hands. You should also be performing a posterior pelvic tilt with rounding your back, thus your back looks like a cat. When arching your back, you should feel like your chest is dropping towards the ground, but you don’t want to bend at your elbows, keep your arms straight. You should also be performing an anterior pelvic tilt with arching your back, thus your back and head make the shape of a camel.

HOW: Standing next to a wall, bring the inside leg up and the outside leg back creating a split stance position. Take the inside arm and place your hand on the wall out to your side. Shift your weight to the front leg as you continue pushing into the wall and rotate your chest facing the wall.  Hold that stretch for a few seconds and return to the starting position to repeat for the prescribed amount of reps. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your mid back.

 

COMPENSATION: Make sure to rotate your chest keeping your hips facing forward for the best stretch.

HOW: Begin in a half kneeling position with the leg away from the wall stabilized against the wall with a ball. With both hands directly in front of you, rotate one arm open attempting to reach the wall behind you. Exhale as you rotate, inhale as you return to neutral and repeat.

 

FEEL: You will feel the mid back and shoulder open with his exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid rotating from your lower back. The motion should primarily be occurring at your mid back.

HOW: Begin in a half kneeling position with the leg towards the wall stabilized against the wall with a ball. With both hands directly in front of you, rotate one arm towards the wall attempting to reach the wall behind you. Exhale as you rotate, inhale as you return to neutral and repeat. Use the back arm to assist in additional rotation if needed.

 

FEEL: You will feel the mid back and shoulder open with his exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid rotating from your lower back. The motion should primarily be occurring at your mid back.

HOW: Get set-up on the ground on your hands and knees with a foam roller to the side you. Sit your butt back towards your heels as far as you can that you feel comfortable with. With your arm that is further away from the foam roller, reach through and under your other arm and place your hand and wrist on the roller with your thumb facing up towards the sky. Take a breath in followed by breathing out as you roll the foam roller away from you. You can rotate your head and follow your hand with your eyes, or for a sport like golf you can keep your head and eyes facing the ground. Slowly return and repeat.

 

FEEL: You should feel motion occurring in your mid back and around your shoulder blades. Towards the end of the motion, you may feel a stretch in this area.

 

COMPENSATION: Try to limit motion to your mid back and shoulder blades. Do not move excessively from your hips, pelvis, or low back. This is why sitting your butt back towards your heels is beneficial.

HOW: Get set-up laying on a long foam roller with it parallel to your spine and in the middle of your back. Make sure your knees are bent with your feet flat on the ground and have your butt and head supported on the foam roller. Prior to initiating alternating arm movement, flatten your lower back into the foam roller and perform a chin tuck (see video for details). If you do not have a foam roller, that is ok you can perform this on the ground. While maintaining this position, alternate raising one arm overhead while the other arm is down by your side, then alternate. Both arms should be moving at the same time with your thumbs pointing up, try to get your arms parallel with your body.

 

FEEL: You should feel motion happening between and at the top of your shoulder blades towards the base of your neck. You may also feel a stretch in your lats and under your shoulder with the arm that is overhead.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not arch your low back, do not lose the chin chuck, do not flare your ribs, do not lose your balance off the foam roller. Be safe, if you cannot keep your balance perform on the ground.

HOW: Stand next to a doorway or pole. Reach the arm you want to stretch over and across your body and grab onto the doorway with your palms face up, not down. Cross your leg on that side behind you. Slowly let your hips sink away from the door. Look under your armpit to further intensify the stretch.

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch along the shoulder, lats, and even the side of your lower back with this stretch.

 

COMPENSATION: Make sure to “let go” and let your hips sink away. If you do not relax your shoulder, you will not feel the stretch!