Double Leg Spinal Twist

  1. Lie on your back. Pull your navel to your spine to engage your core muscles; maintain this throughout the exercise to protect the low back.
  2. Rest your arms by your sides with the palms facing the sky.
  3. Bend your knees and lift one leg and then the other so that knees are bent and together. The angle between your thigh and torso depends on what is comfortable for you. The thighs can be perpendicular to the floor or positioned slightly towards or away from the body. Lower legs are approximately perpendicular to the thighs. There is a slight natural curve in the low back, but the low front ribs stay pulled in to keep the back from arching. This is the setup position for this exercise.
  4. Breathwork while doing this exercise: With knees lifted and together, inhale deeply. On exhale, keep your knees together as you rotate your legs to one side, keeping both shoulders anchored to the mat and navel pulled towards the spine. Pull the navel strongly towards the spine. Inhale fully in this twisting position, allowing the ribcage to expand and the muscles between the ribs to stretch. Exhale, re-engaging the action of the navel towards the spine. As you exhale, use your core muscles to return the bent legs back to setup position.
  5. Alternate rotation of the bent legs from one side to the other, matching the movement with the breath. The core muscles stretch when the legs are rotated to the side and they strengthen when held to the side and upon being brought back to setup.
Group: 
Active
Level: 
Level 1
Position: 
Supine
Exercise List Weight: 
-6
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