Relieve Neck and Shoulder Pain with a Thoracic Training Program

Sore neck? Shoulder pain? Constant throb in your lower back? These are all symptoms of a tight thoracic spine. The thoracic spine is already stiff, as it cages many of our organs and is framed with bones (your ribs). However, our lifestyle plays a role in increasing the stiffness of this area (think about your posture, sitting at a desk, or driving a car). A tight thoracic can encourage your body to find shortcuts – for example, if your ribs don’t twist, perhaps you can hinge a little further with your more mobile neck or lower back? In this way, one problem can lead to another.

We also know that a stiff or slumped posture can increase downward pressure on the pelvic floor and exacerbate dysfunction. In our gym, for these reasons, every program must have some kind of thoracic movement!

The following program is one that i prescribed for our IntoMum session a couple of weeks ago. It was literally a thoracic mobilising session, with a workout as a bonus!

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Warm up:

• Standing twist with broomstick
  
• Standing “open up” using Power Plate handles
  
• Back stretch, looking under armpits and alternating sides
  

Exercises:

• 4 point rotations with hand behind head
  
• Squatting slump and flex
   
• Hip flexor stretch with side to side bends
  
• Lunging twist with broomstick
  
• Resisted rotation – on Power Plate with resistance band
  
• Single arm row
  
• Hip lift and reach
  
• Power Plate triceps massage with bar extension
  
• Freeform Board 3-way hover
   
  

Cool down:

• Horizontal roller
  
• Power Plate massage
  
• Roller relaxation
  

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This program should make you leave feeling more sensational than when you walked in. To make it a harder workout, add 30 seconds of cardio between each exercise.