Improving Posture by Opening the Spine - Foam Roll the Thorax

Eliminate upper back and neck pain by improving your posture with foam rolling. By extending the spine and increasing your spine's ability to extend, you can drastically reduce pain, tension and stress on your neck and improve your everyday posture.

If you find that your upper body is starting to hunch forward, this is a great way to lengthen your spine to stand more upright.

However there are some key points that you need to know in order to foam roll your spine safely:

- Not all foam rolls are the same, some are softer and some are harder or are textured. If you are new to foam rolling, start with a soft foam roll and increase the intensity as needed. Do not start with a super firm foam roll as this can increase pain rather than reduce pain.

- Support your neck when foam rolling your spine. Start leaning on your side then roll to your back on the foam roll.

- Only foam roll your spine from your shoulders to your mid back (roughly where your ribs end), do not foam roll your lower back as this can cause harm to your lower back.

- First warm-up your spine by rolling from your shoulders to your mid back. Go slow and change up your pace.

- Curl Up: You may curl up and down to increase flexion and extension in your spine, this increase your spine's ability to bend and flex. Just a reminder that this is not a sit up to workout your abs, but rather a movement to improve the quality of your spine's extension.

- Extension and Rotation: Keeping your head supported, extend your back on the foam roll and look over your shoulder to your elbow. Make sure to rotate your neck and your eyes towards the elbow that is rotating down towards the ground, this is important as the neck and eyes play a key roll in your gross range of motion.

- To come off the foam roll, turn to your side while still supporting your neck before coming up.