Mark Hayward Personal Training Exeter, Devon| Weight Loss| Personal Trainer| Exmouth, Topsham, Crediton, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Yeoford, Chagford, Dartmoor, Clyst St Mary, Ottery St Mary, Starcross, Newton St Cyres, Honiton

No of Repetitions

• 5 to each side

Joint Mobilised

• Thoracic Spine

Major Muscles used

• Obliques
• Erector Spinae

Stabilsing Muscles

• Transversus Abdominis
• Lumbar Multifidus
• Internal Obliques
• Rotator Cuff (Teres Minor, Subscapularis, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus)

How To Perform Safely

• Sit upright on your sit bones as near to neutral as you can get. Engage NS, TVA and PF.
• Use lateral thoracic breathing.
• Inhale and raise your shoulders upwards.
• Exhale and let them glide down, as if heading for your back pockets.
• Place your legs either: Soles together or legs crossed
• Legs wide, bent knees, feet on floor
• Legs extended fully and open
• Place your index finger under your chin and thumb on sternum.
• Join the fingers and thumbs.
• Inhale and then exhale as you rotate to one side.
• Imagine you have a book on top of your head as you turn.
• Keep shoulders down, tension free and level. Don't lift shoulders as you breathe.
• Keep lower body motionless and on the floor, imagine it is set in concrete as you turn.
• Keep your head moving inline with shoulders and upper back.
• Don't move down to one side.
• Keep back straight

Easier

• Less range of motion, less reps

Harder

• More reps, greater range of motion

Adaptations

• Sit on block or towel to obtain improved position.
• Also use 'cossack' arms, arms extended to side with fingertips on floor or fingertips on shoulders.