Ribs Stretching Exercises

1. Thoracic self-mobilization

Lie down with the arms outstretched on a rolled towel placed lengthwise on the spine and make sure that the neck is supported.
Hold the position for the required time.

2. Trunk rotation stretch

Lie on your side with your bottom leg straight and your top leg bent and on the floor.
Both hands are placed together in front of your chest.
Keeping the bottom arm on the floor, roll back and have your top arm reach back to touch the floor, opening up your chest.
Hold the position.

3. Thoracic and pec mobility

Start in side-lying with your knees stacked at hip height and arms straight and aligned with your shoulders. Use a pillow underneath your head to prevent neck tension. Slowly move your top arm up overhead, working the fingertips towards the ground (may not be touching). When you get overhead rotate through the shoulder and mid back. Then slowly reverse the movement back overhead to a starting position. Move nice and slow here-stop when you find a particular stretchy spot-take a few nice deep breaths, then keep moving.

4. Half cobra stretch

Start on your stomach and elbows with your hands in front of you.
Lift yourself up on your elbows, pulling up one vertebra at the time to stretch the spine.

5. Spine extension

Lay down on your stomach with your hands together behind your back and your arms straight.
Lift your head and trunk as high as possible, while pulling your shoulders back and tucking your chin.
Hold for a few seconds. Then exhale while lowering your chest down on the floor.
Repeat.

6. Side trunk stretch

Sit in tailor posture and raise one arm overhead.
Bent to one side without compressing the side toward which you’re bending, while lengthening your spine as much as possible. Use your opposite hand to apply a light pressure on your ribs-in order to prevent compressing that side-while side bending.
Hold the position.

7. Thoracic ext. mobility

Place your foam roller on the floor and take a kneeling four point position with your wrists on the foam roll in front of you.
Roll the foam roll forward by stretching your spine and lowering your chest towards the floor.

8. Trunk/shoulder mobility

In a quadruped position, knees together and hands under the shoulders, reach under with one hand, come back and rotate the trunk to raise the hand toward the ceiling.
Increase the range of motion progressively.
You can rotate the trunk but do not lift the knees off the floor.

9. Active stretch 6

In kneeling, stretch one leg out on the side.
Incline the trunk and reach out with your arms.
Hold the position for the recommended time.

10. Windmills – Stable posture (golf drill)

Stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms out to your sides.
Begin to rotate your arms and trunk back and forth. Keep your arms elevated and allow your whole body to rotate.
After a short warm up, try to stabilize your lower body and bend from the waist-like a good golf posture. Continue to rotate your upper body around your lower body like a windmill. To progress, begin to incorporate hip motion movements to simulate the full weight shift used in a golf swing.

11. Rotating triangle lunge

Adopt a lunge position with the rear leg stretched behind.
Put your hands on the floor on the inside of the front foot.
Rotate the trunk toward your front leg by moving your free hand up and looking at your hand.
Bring your hand back down. Then repeat.
Keep your nice lunge position at all times.
Perform the exercise on the other side.

12. Lunge matrix

Take a step to lunge forward as you raise the arms overhead and laterally flex the trunk towards your front leg side-drive the flexion with your arms.
Return to the center and lunge diagonally forward, raising your arms and bending laterally towards the same side.
Return to the center and lunge sideways, raising your arms and bending laterally towards the same side.
Return to the center and lunge diagonally backwards raising your arms and bending laterally towards the same side.
Repeat the sequence with your other leg.

13. T-spine flex./ext.

Stand up and slightly lower your body into a mini squat position.
Relax your body and use momentum while lifting your arms above your head, leaning back while strengthening your legs to bring the body in extension.

14. Stretching side bend

Stand straight with your feet hip width apart and look directly ahead of you.
Lift one arm up above your head and slowly bend sideways while reaching down with the opposite hand, until you feel a stretch at the side of your trunk.
Maintain the stretch without twisting or leaning forward. Slowly return to initial position.

15. Lateral muscles stretch

Sit up straight in a chair and look directly ahead of you.
Lift one arm up and above your head and slowly bend sideways while reaching down with the opposite hand, until you feel a stretch at the side of your trunk.
Relax.
When you bend your trunk sideways, do not twist or lean forward. Keep your body straight and facing forward.

16. Thoracic extension

Sit all the way back in a chair so that your back is leaning on the backrest.
Put your hands on your shoulders with your elbows toward the ceiling.
Extend over the chair and then come back to the starting position.

17. Active FABER with trunk rotation

Sit down on a table and place a hand behind your head with your arm open-elbow pointing out.
Rotate the trunk toward the elevated arm’s side, keeping the elbow up and out.
Come back to the center and repeat exercise.

18. Low to high torso rot.

Use the open hands or the clasped hands position as you are able. Sit on the chair with your feet wider than shoulder width. Start in a “down” position as shown. Rotate your hands up with your arms extended across your body to the opposite side. Eyes should follow hands at all times. Bring your hands back to the starting position and repeat for the required sets and reps. Then repeat to opposite side.

19. Thoracic extension stretch on ball

Sit on a ball and step forward to lower your back onto the ball.
Place the ball directly under your shoulder blades and open your arms on each side to increase the stretch.
Maintain the position and relax.