Upper back flexibility?

[Sessy]

Does anybody know of a good way to stretch the upper back?

I can fold over 90 degrees in my lower back, but any exercise (including the arrange pose from ballet) intended to stretch your back, I manage to take the flexibility out of my lower back and my upper back isn't stretching at all. And I'd like it to, for the layback.

How do I stretch my upper back?

[coskater64]

I do reformers pilates for my upper back flexibility. A good ballet teacher or class will also help.

[karliey]

The best exercise would be backbends with proper form. Like the wheel position in yoga, your legs are straightened. So your shoulders would be directly over your hands, with your legs in a straight line diagonally.

You should also work on proper form in the other exercises you know of, so you are using the whole of your back instead of just the lower back. Anexample is the stretch where you are lying face down, then you push up with your arms, bending in the middle. Your hips should remain on the ground in order to do this stretch properly. Plus, 90 degrees at the lower back isn't the limit. Look up over behind you rather than keeping the rest of your body vertical. Stretch down towards the ground with your shoulders.

Hopefully my descriptions are ok, everyone uses different terminology so it's hard to just name something!

[Sessy]

Yes I do all those and more, paying the attention you describe, without effect (no doubt the old spine injury made things a little less flexible than they would've normally been). Are there any exercises to *isolate* that area of the back and target it specifically?

[karliey]

Ouch spine injury! Maybe some more physiotherapy would help then? If it was your lower back that had this level of immobility it would be problematic day to day. I say immobility since you've tried a lot of things but you're just not bending there. Shoulder stretches will help your upper back, so keep working on those.

[Sessy]

Mwuah, I was 8 or 9 years at the time it happened and since I started stretching for skating, it doesn't bother me anymore unless I spend too much time in bed, LOL!

Do you mean shoulder stretches like this ? Or do you mean some other kind?
http://www.weightlossforall.com/images/shoulder%20stretching.JPG
http://www.weightlossforall.com/images/shoulder%20triceps%20stretching.JPG
http://www.ucd.ie/archery/archery/exercises/shoulder-stretch.gif

[karliey]

Yep those are good. I'll offer you a couple more since there aren't many more people replying. Try also standing with your hands straight out in front of you leaning on a wall, and stretching out with your arms and down with your head. You can also do this sitting with your hands crossed in front of you.

There was one I really wanted to describe and couldn't, and I finally found a picture, hooray.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/987/catstrcheh4.gif

From here you can also push through to the back stretch that I was talking about earlier by bending your arms and sliding through with your chest on the floor, then stomach, then hips on the ground and your body is upright again.

[Sessy]

Hmm? I thought you meant this one earlier.. :oops:
http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/60/86/23278660.jpg

Yep those are good. I'll offer you a couple more since there aren't many more people replying. Try also standing with your hands straight out in front of you leaning on a wall, and stretching out with your arms and down with your head. You can also do this sitting with your hands crossed in front of you.

This one?
http://www.openmindbody.com/shoulderstretches_003.jpg


Thanks!!!