This upper back stretch is done sitting on a chair. You clasp your hands between your knees, reach them forward and down so your shoulder blades spread apart, and let your chin drop toward your chest. You feel it between the shoulder blades, over the muscles that pull them together (rhomboids and middle trapezius). It is an easy one to do during a break from desk work.

How to do the upper back stretch

Sit up straight on a steady chair with your feet flat and your knees about hip width apart.
Clasp your hands together and hold them between your knees.
Reach your hands forward and down between your knees. Let your upper back round and your shoulder blades slide apart.
Gently drop your chin toward your chest.
Hold while you breathe slowly, then roll back up to sitting tall, lifting your head last.

What you should feel

A stretch across the area between your shoulder blades. Some people also feel it up into the back of the neck as the chin drops.

Common mistakes

Pulling the head down or bobbing it. Let the chin drop gently and stay there.
Slumping only from the lower back while the shoulder blades stay pulled together. Think of reaching your hands away from you.
Holding your breath during the stretch.

How often

Many programs hold the stretch for about 20 to 30 seconds and repeat it 2 to 4 times, a few times a day. Your physio will adjust this for you.

Stop and check with your physio if

Pain, numbness or tingling spreads into your arms or hands.
Pins and needles in your arm or hand that do not go away after you stop, or part of your arm or hand goes numb. Get medical advice the same day. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away.
You feel sharp pain in your neck or back rather than a stretch.
You feel dizzy or lightheaded as you bend forward or sit back up. Stop, stay seated and let it pass. If it keeps happening, get medical advice the same day before you try again, and call emergency services if it does not settle within a few minutes of sitting still. If you faint while exercising, call emergency services, even if you feel fine again quickly.
An electric shock feeling runs down your back or into your arms or legs as your head bends forward. Stop and get medical advice the same day.

From the clinic

Come back up slowly, especially if you tend to feel lightheaded when you stand or change position. Pick a chair without wheels and sit far enough back on the seat that it cannot tip as you lean forward.

If you have osteoporosis or a past fracture in the spine, ask your physio before doing repeated forward rounding, as this movement is often limited. This stretch rounds the upper back. For the opposite direction, try thoracic extension over a chair, and for a turning stretch through the same area, thread the needle.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try the upper back stretch. Reaching down between your knees while you sit bends the hip past a right angle, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

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.

Upper back stretch