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Thoracic Rotations (Open-Book / Quadruped)

Evidence-grounded — sourced from Fysiqal's fitness knowledge graph· 2 min read
mobilitythoracic-mobilityrotationopen-bookmovement-prepneuromotor

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In one line

Drills that isolate rotation to the mid-back (thoracic spine) — the joint-by-joint "mobility" segment — while keeping the lumbar spine stable.

Detail

The thoracic spine is a mobility joint in the joint-by-joint scheme (see stability-vs-mobility); restoring its rotation reduces compensatory twisting at the lumbar spine (which should be stable). Two common drills:

  • Open-book (side-lying) — lie on one side, knees bent and stacked, arms together out front. Keeping the knees down, open the top arm across the body toward the floor on the other side, following the hand with the eyes, then return. The pinned hips keep rotation in the thoracic spine.
  • Quadruped (hand-behind-head) rotation — on hands and knees, place one hand behind the head; rotate that elbow down toward the opposite arm, then up toward the ceiling, opening the chest. Keep the hips level so the motion stays thoracic.

Both develop active thoracic rotational mobility (spine-rom) and feature in dynamic warm-ups (see dynamic-warmup-overview) and within the world's greatest stretch (exercise-worlds-greatest-stretch).

Coaching:

  • Keep the lumbar spine stable and hips/pelvis still — the rotation should come from the mid-back, not by twisting the low back.
  • Move smoothly with the breath; reach a touch farther over successive reps.
  • Typical dose: ~8–10 rotations per side.

Key facts

  • Open-book (side-lying) and quadruped hand-behind-head rotations isolate thoracic rotation.
  • Thoracic spine is a mobility joint; restoring rotation spares the lumbar spine.
  • Keep hips/lumbar still — rotate from the mid-back.
  • Typical dose: ~8–10 per side.

Connections

  • dynamic-warmup-overview — dynamic warm-up drill.
  • stability-vs-mobility — thoracic = mobility joint rationale.
  • spine-rom — spinal rotation ROM.
  • exercise-worlds-greatest-stretch — contains a thoracic rotation.
SourceCurrent guideline bodies
Authored from established mobility consensus (joint-by-joint approach).
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Educational content only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified professional for individualized guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy, or medical conditions.

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Atlas Connections

Spine Range of Motion
Spinal lateral bending 30°, rotation 40°, flexion 70° (standing and lying), hyperextension 70°.
Dynamic Warm-Up (Mobility-as-Training)Closely related
A pre-activity routine of active, moving drills that take joints through increasing range while raising temperature and priming the nervous system — building usable mobility, unlike a static hold-and-relax stretch.
Cat-CowClosely related
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World's Greatest StretchClosely related
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Stability vs Mobility (Joint-by-Joint Approach)Closely related
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