← EXERCISE LIBRARYMobility
Seated Thoracic Rotation
Chair-based rotation drill that isolates the mid-back by locking the pelvis. A practical option for desk workers who want to keep rotational range without leaving the desk.
- 01Sit tall on a chair with both feet flat on the floor and the knees together.
- 02Cross the arms over the chest or place the hands behind the head with the elbows wide.
- 03Keep the knees pressed together and rotate the ribcage to the right as far as it goes without the hips turning.
- 04Hold the end position for two breaths, letting the exhale carry you a little further.
- 05Return to centre and repeat to the left, working six to eight rotations per side.
- 01Knees stay square to the front the whole way through.
- 02Grow taller first, then turn.
- 03Breathe out at the end range instead of gripping.
- 01Letting the hips swivel on the chair — the movement becomes a whole-body turn and the mid-back is untouched.
- 02Slumping before rotating — a flexed thoracic spine has less rotation available to give.
- 03Yanking with the arms — the arm pull creates apparent range the trunk muscles are not controlling.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.