Spine Mobility for Runners with Videos
Your spine is your center of stability. If you lack mobility from the center, the distal joints (shoulder, hips, elbows, knees, etc) have to perform twice as much load to perform the same amount of work. I primarily see overuse injuries, especially in runners, in the hip, knee, or ankle.
Most of the time, there’s also decreased range of motion along the spine. The spine gets stiff and loses range of motion from the positions we live in (i.e. sitting) or excessive muscle tightness.
Thoracic spine range of motion is important to prevent excessive trunk rotation.
For example, when the right arm swings forward, it shouldn’t twist the trunk excessively with it.
Lumbar spine range of motion is important to prevent excessive overextension of the low back when the hip and foot push off the ground in the terminal stance of running.
Good low back mobility means you can maintain a neutral pelvis during running and engage the core and glute muscles properly.
Don’t neglect the spine; it is the epicenter of movement control.
Open books and Quadruped Thoracic Spine Rotation
Frequency: 10-15 reps/side
Open books: Lying on your side with knees and hips bent at 90 degrees. Arms out in front of you, hands together. Lift the top hand up (keep your eyes on it) as you bring it over and across. The goal is to bring that top shoulder onto the ground without moving your hips (if you have a full range of motion).
Quadruped thoracic spine rotation: On hands and knees, place the right hand behind your neck. Rotate the spine towards the right side, aiming for the ceiling. Maintain a neutral spine at all times and don’t let hips rock side to side or sit towards heels. Pro-tip: do this against a wall so you don’t cheat.
Thoracic Spine Extensions on Foam Roller & Double ball
Frequency: 5 minutes total
Thoracic Spine Extensions on Foam roller: Lie on the foam roller placed at the lower mid-back where you feel the ribs attach to the spine. Knees should be bent, hips on the ground, and hands supporting the neck. Extend backward as far as you can. Repeat 5x. Slide foam roller up to a different segment and repeat until you get between shoulder blades.
Double ball to Thoracic Spine: Same placement as above. At each segment, perform 5 arm raises, then give yourself a tight hug by grabbing your shoulder blades and rock side to side for 30 seconds. Repeat by moving the double ball higher until you get between the shoulder blades.
Frequency: 10/side
Lying flat on your back, arms out to the side, kick one leg straight across the body. Repeat by alternating legs from side to side. Stop if this causes low back pain.