Strong or Flexible? Your spine NEEDS both
A smarter way to move your spine (especially in midlife)
How much should you actually be stretching and moving your back?
There’s a lot of conflicting advice out there—”get more flexible” vs. “don’t bend your spine”—it’s gets overwhelming, especially in midlife.
✨ The truth lies in balance.
Your spine is designed for both stability AND movement.
Your lumbar spine (lower back) thrives on stability without excessive flexibility.
👉 This is where a strong core makes all the difference (refer back to Tuesday’s issue for more on building a strong core).
But your thoracic spine (mid-back) is meant to move.
👉 Movements like twisting, extending, and sidebending can help you stay mobile.
When your thoracic spine gets stiff, which is super common, your lower back often compensates...leading to discomfort.
So it’s not about doing more—it’s about moving smarter!
✨ Building strength where you need support and restoring mobility where your body requires it.
JUST ONE THING
Your thoracic spine is healthiest when it is quite mobile. And in midlife, we need to be more proactive in this area.
Your "JUST ONE THING" to Boost Spine Health
Improve Thoracic Spine Mobility
Your thoracic spine is the middle of your back—running from the base of your neck to just below your bra strap.
This area is designed to move. But for many of us, especially in midlife, it gets stiff over time.
Each day, you should gently work this area through a range of movements—twisting, bending forward and back, and side to side.
Nothing forced. Nothing extreme.
With consistency, you’ll build strength through your entire trunk, ease unnecessary strain on your lower back, and even start to notice better posture 😃—without overthinking it.
This move 👇 is great as it positions you so your lumbar spine is safely anchored while you rotate and mobilize your thoracic spine.
Hooklying Thoracic Rotation Stretch
- Lay on your side & tuck knees up to hip level. Stretch arms out, stacking one hand on top of the other.
- Reach as far forward as you can with the top arm, then rotate it back behind you, letting gravity take over. Exhale.
- Do 4-5 reps per side.
Extra Tip: If your arm can't quite reach the floor behind you, position a pillow or a stack of blankets under your arm so that you can relax into the position.
Did You Know...
- An increased spinal curvature (imagine excessive forward-rounding at the thoracic spine) is a BIG reason why you might get shorter as you age.
- Stress can impact your thoracic spine tightness! Short, shallow breathing caused by stress creates more tension in the muscles and fascia surrounding your rib cage and spine. Practice taking full, deep rib-expanding breaths daily to avoid this.
- Just by focusing on thoracic mobility, you might notice the disappearance of low back pain, hip pain, knee pain, and of course, shoulder & neck pain. Everything is connected through your torso!
Until next week... Be strong💪
