PILATES MOTION ATLAS

Assisted Upper-Back Stretch | Assisted stretch in 3D

Assisted Upper-Back Stretch: seated (stool), shoulder girdle and thoracic flexion. Preparation, 4 movement phases, points to check and cautions, with a 3D model you can pause and rotate.

Pilates Motion Atlas editorial teamUpdated September 24, 2026

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A schematic 3D view of Assisted Upper-Back Stretch — One moment from the lesson model. Open 3D to follow the whole movement from any angle.

Position and focus

Seated (stool) · Shoulder girdle and thoracic flexion

An assisted stretch for the shoulder girdle and thoracic flexion, observing contact, stabilisation and compensation separately.

Starting position

The client sits on a stool with both arms reaching forwards. The trainer stands in front and holds both of the client's wrists.

Movement phases

1. Hold the wrists

Support the client's arms at shoulder height.

2. Round the back

Keeping the wrists in place, ask the client to round the upper back and lean back.

3. Check the response

Check for a stretch between the shoulder blades and the breathing.

4. Return to upright

Let go only after the client has straightened the back.

What the trainer checks

Check that the arms are not being pulled hard and that there is no pain in the shoulders.

Instructor information

Trainer position

Stand in front of the client at a distance where holding the wrists does not pull the shoulders too far.

Contact and support

Hold both of the client's wrists, wrapping them from above.

Stabilisation

Have the client keep the soles of the feet on the floor so they do not slide off the seat.

Compensation

Rounding largely from the lower back, shrugging of the shoulders, the arms being pulled too far.

Easier option

Reduce the range and let the weight of the leg or arm rest on a cushion or the table. Go back to checking a pain-free starting position.

Cues and consent

Tell the client where you will touch and which way you will move, and say, 'Tell me straight away if you feel any pain or discomfort.' Confirm consent before touching and before moving.

Stop criteria

Return to the starting position immediately if the client reports sharp pain, numbness, weakness, a pinching feeling in the joint, dizziness, shortness of breath or anxiety, or asks to stop.

Caution

Work within your qualifications, contract and studio procedures, and check medical history, medication and any pain before starting. This is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. Do not perform unfamiliar techniques from the 3D alone.

These English notes describe a prototype model. Stretch and foam roller lessons have not yet been reviewed by the supervising instructors. They are not medical advice or an individual exercise prescription.

References and scope

Cambridge University Hospitals — Seated stretches ↗
In a chair: arm across the body, hugging yourself to widen the back, opening the chest, side stretch, back of the thigh, calf, and neck (forwards, sideways and diagonally forwards).

This lesson was put together for this site from the methods for the same area in the sources above. It has not yet been reviewed by an expert.

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