05/26/2026
Standing trunk twists with the elbows bent and “leading” the movement are really effective for mobility and stability.
Bending my elbows helps me focus on opening through my lats, rib cage, and thoracic spine.
Some of the biggest benefits:
- Improves thoracic spine mobility. Most people are stiff through their mid-back from sitting, driving, lifting, or working at a desk. Your body is designed to rotate. So do it, purposefully.
- Opens and lengthens your lats. Leading with your elbows encourages your shoulder blades and lats to move through a bigger range of motion. Tight lats can limit your overhead movement, posture, breathing, and even hip mobility.
- Enhances rotational strength and control. Your core’s job is rotating, resisting rotation, and transferring force. Controlled twists train your obliques, deep core muscles, and spinal stabilizers together.
- Improves your posture and chest openness. When you rotate with the chest open instead of collapsing forward, you encourage better shoulder positioning and reduce that rounded-forward posture.
- Builds body awareness and coordination. This movement teaches your upper and lower body to work together while maintaining balance and alignment.
- Can help breathing mechanics. Rib cage rotation and lat mobility influence how well your ribs expand. Try this exercise and see if you can breathe deeper and move more freely afterward.
- Great for athletes and combat sports. Rotational mobility is huge for activities like BJJ, golf, tennis, throwing sports, and even running. Better thoracic rotation can improve your movement efficiency, so you don’t have to compensate by using your low back.
- Low-impact way to warm up or movement break. It increases circulation and prepares your spine, shoulders, and hips for more dynamic movement.
Try it!!! Let me know how much you love it!
