Twisting is underrated.
Many people lack the mobility and range of motion to get a full, deep twist in the neck, back, and hips.
Tight muscles lead to a lack movement, and lack of movement leads to an inability to move properly.
Test it out.
Turn the head and look over the shoulder.
See the corner of the room?
What about the back wall?
What about the opposite corner?
Next, try rotating the shoulders all the way to face the side wall.
Did the entire spine twist like a rotini pasta, or did a portion of the back stay rigid and locked in place?
Might be time to work on that mobility!
Threading the Needle is a great movement for those that have a limited range of motion in the middle of the back.
It is a safe movement that starts on the ground with a solid base of support.
To Thread the Needle, start on the hands and knees.
Next, begin to rotate the right shoulder up towards the sky.
Focus on turning the chest open and moving the torso.
The lifting of the arm and getting the hand up is the cherry on top.
Build a strong foundation to the movement by generating the twist with the muscles of the abdomen.
Once the torso is opened to the side and the arm is reaching high, reverse the movement and thread the arm down and through the the opening created by the opposite arm that is balancing on the ground.
Repeat for 5-10 slow, controlled reps on the right side.
Then repeat on the left.
Again, the focus is on the twist in the torso, not the height of the arm.
Have fun!
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