Trunk rotation exercises work the abdominal, back, and oblique muscles, and improve torso flexibility.
Many of you use my lightweight “comfort-neck” bar for doing trunk rotation exercises when here (shown below). Another lightweight alternative that you can use at home is a broom (also pictured). I’ve used brooms (and mops when dry, haha), and the kind of brooms with a screw in handle; just use the wooden handle part which is pretty long. I do not recommend using weighted bars for this exercise. I don’t condone any weight bars at base of neck, ever.
There are two basic movements I call: “helicopters” and “windmills” as explained below:
Starting Stance – both exercises
- Stand in a straddle, feet outside shoulder width, knees bent, chest out, shoulders back, abs engaged
- Place the bar on your upper shoulders, or at the very base of your neck. Keep neck aligned; in other words, do not stick your chin forward. Instead focus on retracting your chin a bit. (It’s good for your neck to do this!)
- Flex arms while extending them left and right, palms down, resting lightly on bar or wooden rod.
Helicopters:
- Once in above stance, exhale as you rotate left, keeping your eyes forward, hips still. Do your best to not move anything below your navel. Inhale as you come out the rotation left, and in one smooth movement exhale as you then rotate right. Again, moving from the navel up. Rotate 8 to 10 times per side.
Windmills:
- Once in above stance, exhale as you lean left, as if trying to expose your right underarm. Again, do not move body below the navel, eyes forward. Inhale to start, then exhale as you raise the right arm, if if trying to expose your underarm, then inhale way up, and exhale as you raise left arm to expose the left underarm. Helpful hint: Put emphasis on raising one arm to stretch that side, (not on pushing down). Rotate 8 to 10 times per side.
Below I am doing “windmills” with my household broom. I didn’t bother using the one I can unscrew from the brush; I just grabbed a lightweight one, and had at it! What the heck, when done, you’ll maybe be motivated to sweep. haha
Take Care,
Margo
