Seated Thoracic Rotation (Chair Twist)
A gentle seated rotation for your mid-back that gets your ability to twist through your ribcage back, using a sturdy chair for support and real feedback.
Why it works
This targets your thoracic spine, the 12 mid-back vertebrae responsible for most of your torso's rotation. Age and years of desk sitting stiffen the thoracic facet joints and shorten the paraspinal and intercostal soft tissue around them, which forces your neck and lumbar spine to over-rotate and turns both into common pain sites that shouldn't be doing this job in the first place. Actively rotating under control lubricates those facet joints with synovial fluid, lengthens the rotators and obliques, and keeps the trunk rotation you need: checking a blind spot while driving, reaching behind you, swinging around to hand someone something. Better thoracic rotation also frees your ribcage to expand more, which is worth something every single time you take a breath.
How to do it
- Sit tall on a sturdy chair, feet flat and hip-width apart, knees pointing forward.
- Cross your arms over your chest or rest fingertips on opposite shoulders to keep the movement in your torso.
- Exhale slowly and rotate your head, shoulders, and ribcage to the right, keeping your hips and knees square to the front.
- Go only to a gentle end-range stretch, hold 2 to 3 seconds, then return to center on an inhale.
- Repeat to the left, moving smoothly and never forcing the twist.
Dose: 2 sets of 8 rotations per side, daily or at least 5 days per week. Smooth and controlled beats fast every single time.
⚠ Keep hips and knees facing forward so the twist comes from the mid-back, not the lower back. Move slowly and stop short of any sharp pain. If you have osteoporosis or a known spinal condition, keep the range small and check with your clinician first.
