A Move You Should Do MONDAY – Half Kneeling Twist

The half kneeling twist is a dynamic variation of a yoga pose that helps unlock three key areas of rotation in your body: the subtalar joint (ankle), hip and thoracic spine. Here’s how to do it:

Begin in a half kneeling position with one leg in front and your knees bent to 90 degrees
Put your arms out to a “T” and then twist towards your front leg
Then lower your hand to the floor. Make sure to keep the ball of your big toe on the ground (don’t let your foot roll to the outside)
Hold this position for only a second and then return to the start
Perform 6 times. (Another variation would be to hold this position for 30 seconds)
Repeat with the other leg in front

Why does this matter?

The half kneeling twist teaches your body how to rotate, with rotation beginning at the subtalar joint (ankle). You may notice as you turn that your front foot wants to roll to the outside edge. This is a sign of hip and ankle tightness. By moving into this position and maintaining a flat foot, you teach the subtalar joint to evert, the hip to internally rotate and the thoracic spine to rotate.

Every day activities often lock up these areas, altering the way we walk, squat, push and pull. If you found this exercise to be a challenge, and if you found one side to be more difficult than the other, chances are one of your key areas of rotation is locked up. Lack of movement one or more of these areas often lies at the root cause of knee, low back and shoulder pain.

Give the half kneeling twist a try.

Because nobody has time to be in pain.

Until next time…