By Dr. Paul Kochoa, PT
After a year of quarantine and inactivity, it’s a good time to start being active and getting some exercise. First, if you’ve been working from home, the first thing I’d suggest is work on opening up your posture. The body adapts to the positions it assumes the most. If sitting has been your position of choice, try and work on this mobilization technique to reverse a hunched over posture.
A foam roll is one tool that can be purchased in any store. They are ubiquitous, I’ve seen them in Barnes and Nobles book stores. Along with a lacrosse ball, you’ll have the basic tools to begin a good maintenance program for your body and improve your recovery from workouts or every day activities.
In this video, I place the foam roll on the floor and against my lower ribs. This mobilization is for the mid back. Avoid placing the roll on your lower back. Keep your knees bent and place your hands behind your head to support your neck. Bring your elbows forward to create tension in the soft tissue of the mid back, this way, you can effectively mobilize the joints underneath.
Keeping your hips and knees still, lean back over the foam roll until a good stretch is felt in the mid back. Don’t push into pain. Keep your abdominal muscles engaged to avoid hyperextending the lower back. Repeat the back and forth motion several times at each level of the mid back.
It should take you about 2-3 minutes to complete mobilizing your mid back and you should feel a lot more upright when you get done.
Remember to move slowly and gently. Don’t push into painful ranges of motion. And if you do have pain, consult a medical professional.
Accompanying video: Foam Rolling to Thoracic Spine https://youtu.be/R4VNlzEFdlQ
Dr. Paul Kochoa is an orthopedic doctor of physical therapy in Randolph, NJ and can be reached at paul@par5pt.com