Half Kneeling Thoracic Twisters

Instructions

1. Start in a half-kneeling position next to a wall.

2. Position yourself so the knee furthest from the wall is lightly pressing a small foam roller into the wall.

3. Keep the front foot flat on the floor and the back knee comfortably padded if needed.

4. Interlock your fingers behind your head.

5. Begin with your body turned so you are facing the wall.

6. Gently bend your upper body backward as, keeping the foam roller pressed into the wall with the knee.

7. From there, rotate your torso away from the wall.

8. As you rotate, let the back elbow move forward over your body.

9. Turn only as far as you can without letting the elbow touch the wall.

10. Continue the motion until your body is facing away from the wall.

11. Then bend your torso forward.

12. Reverse the movement to come back through the same path.

Common Compensations

• Do not let the knee lose contact with the foam roller.

• Do not let your pelvis shift excessively as you rotate.

• Do not arch your low back too much when bending backward.

• Do not collapse your chest when bending forward.

• Do not force the twist so far that the elbow hits the wall.

• Do not shrug your shoulders or pull on your neck with your hands.

• Do not rush through the backward bend, rotation, or forward bend.

Extra Info

• You should feel this mostly through the trunk, obliques, upper back, and the hip muscles helping stabilize the kneeling position.

• You may also feel the exercise challenging hip and pelvic control because of the foam roller against the wall.

• The goal is controlled trunk extension, rotation, and flexion while keeping the lower body steady.

• The range of motion does not need to be large to be effective.

• You should not feel sharp pain in the low back, hip, knee, neck, or shoulders.