Upper Back Exercises

1. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart, your hands at your side, and your knees slightly bent. Slowly begin to bend your body forward, allowing your spine to roll downwardly as you exhale. Follow the movement through until your arms are dangling or your hands are touching the floor. Hold this position as you take several breaths. You should be able to feel the weight of your arms spreading your ribs further apart, much like the motion of an accordion when the player pulls the pleated bellows of the instrument apart, thereby helping strained and tightened tissues to relax. On the last inhalation, begin to slowly rise up, simultaneously rolling your spine upward until you’ve returned to your starting position. You may repeat this exercise a couple of times each day.

2. Begin by slightly bending your knees and crossing your arms in front of your body. Your right palm should now be cupping your left elbow and your left palm should be cupping your right elbow. From your waist, slowly bend your body downward until your crossed arms are hanging near the floor. Gravity will pull your upper back and ribcage open. Begin making a circle with your crossed arms, inhaling as the arms go up toward the ceiling and exhaling as your arms extend outwardly and make it down toward the floor. You’ll feel the vertebrae in your upper back and your ribs gently separating and stretching as you move your arms downwardly. Continue the same circular motion several times before reversing the direction of the circle (Figures 190, 191, 192).

3. Many with chronic tightness in their upper back will experience a hunched over appearance or exaggerated curvature of their upper back. In this case, tightly roll a bath towel or throw blanket up. The cloth should be no more than four to six inches thick when rolled up. Place the towel/blanket on the floor or thin exercise mat. You will want to lay down on the towel so that the length of the towel follows the exaggerated curvature of your back and stretches it (Figure 193.) You’ll feel your upper body gradually begin to relax. Continue laying on the towel for ten to fifteen minutes. Rise from your laying position slowly and don’t lift heavy objects or make sudden movements for the next few minutes. Be careful not to relax to the point that you drift off to sleep during the exercise. This exercise should be done for a maximum of fifteen minutes per day; any longer, and you risk overstretching the injured area.