Supine Spinal Twist

Supine Spinal Twist is a mat pilates exercise that is often practiced. Many YouTube fitness videos and at-home workout DVDs include it as a popular movement. However, while many consumers and some untrained teachers regard this exercise only as a stretch, physical therapists and professional Pilates instructors are aware of the actual purpose of this exercise. The Supine Spinal Twist is meant to develop the oblique muscles in a prolonged position, rather than just stretching them. Although this exercise may be done as a stretch, its primary goal is to stabilize your core and develop your obliques.

Many people try to twist and stretch their lower backs by separating their knees and simply extending from one area to the other. However, because the major purpose of this exercise is to improve stability and strength, the knees should be held together and leveled throughout the action to ensure good alignment. People who are unable to maintain their knees leveled while they rotate frequently have problems with their lumbar spine (lower back). The thoracic spine (upper back) should rotate so that the obliques may be stretched and strengthened. While working out at home with YouTube videos and DVDs might be a cost-effective and handy method to meet your fitness objectives, it's not always possible to tell if you're doing things correctly without the help of a trained teacher. You might be setting yourself up for future aches, pains, and injuries if you exercise on your own or without the supervision of a specialist.

How to do:

• In your appropriate grounding form, lay on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, arms spread out to the sides.
• Maintain a tight grip on your knees (you may want to place a towel under your lower back if you're having trouble keeping your spine neutral), and gently roll your knees to one side, keeping your shoulder blades in contact with the floor.
• Pull your navel into your spine and draw your knees back to the center as you exhale.
• Alternate sides and repeat the exercise 3-5 times on each side. Try to hold the stretch posture for 10-15 seconds to allow your body to fully absorb the stretch.