Foam roller thoracic extension is a lying stretch that bends a stiff upper back backward and opens a tight chest. You lie on your back with a foam roller across your spine under your upper back, stretch your arms out to the sides and let your body relax back over the roller as you breathe out. Physios often give it to desk workers and to anyone whose upper back has gone stiff.

How to do the foam roller thoracic extension

Sit on a mat, knees bent and both feet on the floor. Place a foam roller on the floor behind you, lying across the mat rather than along your spine.
Lean back so the roller sits across your upper back, at about the level of your shoulder blades as in the video, below your neck and well above your lower back. Your bottom stays on the mat.
Stretch your arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
Breathe in. As you breathe out, let your upper back and arms sink back over the roller so your chest opens toward the ceiling. Let your head go back only as far as your neck is comfortable.
Hold and keep breathing slowly. To come up, bring your hands behind your head and curl up gently off the roller.

What you should feel

A stretch across the front of your chest and shoulders, and firm pressure where the roller meets your upper back. Your neck should feel at ease.

Common mistakes

Placing the roller under your lower back or your neck. It belongs under the upper back, between the base of the neck and the bottom of the ribs.
Lifting your hips or arching your lower back to get more stretch.
Holding your breath instead of letting each breath out help you sink a little further.
Letting your head hang back so far that the neck strains.

How often

Many programs use a hold of 20 to 30 seconds, or 3 to 5 slow breaths, repeated 2 to 3 times, once or twice a day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sharp pain in your spine or around your ribs.
You feel dizzy, faint or unsteady. Stop and get medical advice the same day. If you faint, it does not settle within a few minutes of sitting still, or you cannot stand or walk steadily, call emergency services.
Things look double, your vision suddenly blurs or goes, your speech slurs or becomes muddled, swallowing becomes hard, your face or lips go numb, one side of your face droops or one side of your body goes weak or numb, you suddenly become so dizzy or unsteady that you fall or cannot stand or walk, your legs suddenly give way but you do not black out (a drop attack), or you get a sudden severe headache. Stop and call emergency services, even if it goes away.
Numbness, tingling or pain running into your arms or hands.

From the clinic

If you have osteoporosis, have ever had a fracture in your spine or have a recent rib injury, ask your physio first whether this suits you. Lying back over a firm roller presses on the spine and bends it backward, so they may give you a softer option, such as a rolled towel, or a different exercise altogether. After recent heart or chest surgery, get your surgeon's or physio's okay first, because opening the arms wide stretches across the healing breastbone and chest. If you are pregnant, ask your physio first about lying on your back.

In the video the head goes back past the roller toward the mat. If that bothers your neck, clasp your hands behind your head to support it, or rest it on a folded towel. The voice guide says to put the roller at the part of your spine you want to stretch. You can move it a little higher or lower, just keep it off the lower back. The pec stretch and thoracic extension over a chair work on similar areas.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Foam roller thoracic extension