Quadruped Thoracic Rotation

What you'll gain

• Trains thoracic rotation while the hips stay quiet on all fours.

• Opens the chest and upper back after long periods of sitting.

• Needs no equipment, so it fits warm-up blocks and home mobility pages.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Kneel on all fours with the knees under the hips and one hand planted under the same-side shoulder.

2. 2

   Place the free hand on the back of the head with that elbow tucked down toward the planted arm.

3. 3

   Brace the trunk so the hips stay level and stacked over the knees.

4. 4

   Rotate the ribcage and lift the moving elbow toward the ceiling, letting the head follow.

5. 5

   Pause when the chest opens without the hips rolling or the planted arm collapsing.

6. 6

   Reverse the same path until the elbow tucks again, then repeat before switching sides.

Common Mistakes

• Letting the hips twist with the ribcage, which turns a thoracic drill into a lumbar sway.

• Pulling on the neck with the hand instead of using the hand as a light head rest.

• Rushing the open position so the planted shoulder shrugs or the supporting elbow bends.

• Starting with the elbow already pointed at the ceiling, which skips the closed-to-open range.

About This Exercise

Quadruped thoracic rotation is a floor mobility drill done on hands and knees. One palm stays planted under the shoulder. The other hand rests behind the head, and the elbow starts tucked toward the supporting arm. From that closed start the ribcage turns so the moving elbow opens toward the ceiling, then returns. The hips stay stacked over the knees so the turn comes from the mid-back, not from a hip sway or a lumbar twist. For a catalog this is the all-fours thoracic clip that desk and warm-up programs need. The side view makes the closed-to-open elbow path readable at thumbnail size, and it needs no kit beyond floor space.

Looking for an exercise animation collection for your app, coaching platform, or content workflow? MoveKit gives you consistent quality across every movement so your product feels cohesive from first launch through scale.

Build faster with related MoveKit resources