Walking with a twist is one way to combat weak abs. In addition it can help you walk with confidence. It can help you become fully present in your body while walking (because you are focusing on the act of walking) and it'll help your heart pump blood. It will also massage your organs at the same time. It can also be used to strengthen your legs and give your walk more power. It may also help you deal with low back pain, the type that feels like your lower back is being pulled forwards from inside of your body and makes your lower back feel like it is being compressed.
Twisting Happens in the Lower Ribcage
The key to walking with a twist is understanding that when you twist your spine, most of the twist happens in the lower half of your ribcage. It does not happen in your lower back.
If you sit down in a chair or on the floor and then twist to one side, the lower part of your thoracic spine and ribcage will turn relative to your pelvis. Your thoracic vertebrae (these are the vertebrae to which your ribs attach) are designed to turn relative to each other. And your ribs are levers that you can use to help them twist.
The lumbar spine connects your ribcage to your pelvis. This part of your spine is designed not to twist. The vertebrae here can twist from front to back and from side to side, however because they don't turn relative to each other they transmit the force of your abs to the ribs of your ribcage so that you can use your abs to turn your ribs relative to your pelvis... or your pelvis relative to your ribs.
The Muscles that Twist Your Spine
Your abdominals, particularly your obliques, are what you use to turn your ribcage relative to your pelvis. The obliques angle forwards and up from your pelvis to your ribcage and they also angle forwards and down. It's because of the way that they are angled that they can be used to turn your ribs relative to your pelvis.
Another set of angled muscles is located between each set of ribs. These are called the intercostals and they can be used to turn your ribs relative to each other.
If you twist while holding your pelvis still (say for example while sitting on the floor) your lower ribs will turn relative to your pelvis thanks to the action of your obliques. Meanwhile your upper ribs will turn with respect to your lower ribs because of your intercostals.
Your Ribcage Is a Flexible Structure (Or Should Be!)
If you are used to thinking of your ribcage as a rigid and inflexible structure it's time to change that way of thinking. Your ribcage is actually quite mobile. And moving it helps to mobilize the thoracic spine. Also, making your ribcage more flexible, or keeping it flexible can help your breathing since the intercostals (and abs) can be used in the breathing process if you learn to breathe into your ribcage.
Massaging Your Organs and Assisting Your Heart
If you've ever twisted a wet wash cloth you know that when you twist you ring out the water. Twisting your ribcage relative to your pelvis you can do something similar, you can squeeze your internal organs. If you twist and then release and then twist again (to the opposite side) you can squeeze and then release your internal organs, giving them a massage, or more appropriately helping to pump fluids within them.
This pumping action not only happens within the organs of your abdomen, it also affects the main blood vessels that run down (and up) through the abdominal cavity. By twisting and releasing you help to squeeze blood through these organs assisting your heart in the pumping of blood.
Twisting Your Lower Ribcage
Before I get on to walking with a twist I should explain a bit more about the ribcage and it's ability to twist. Most of the twist happens in the lower half of the ribcage. This is the part of the ribcage that has the arch in front. Your upper ribcage twists a little but the ability is hindered by the attachment of your ribs to your sternum. So what's really happening when you twist is that your upper ribcage turns relative to your pelvis. However, if you are walking and you keep your upper ribcage facing your direction of travel, your lower ribcage can twist as you walk.
It's a lot like the action used in Latin dances like the rhumba and cha cha cha but instead of dancing you are walking and in the process you make your walk look graceful. And it feels good at the same time.
Walking with a Twist?
So how do you walk with a twist? Start by standing tall. Pull your head back and up so that your neck feels long. Actually, by making your neck long your straighten your cervical spine (the part of the spine that joins your head to your ribcage.) The more you straighten this part of your spine the more you straighten the your upper thoracic spine which is directly below it. This causes your upper chest to lift and open. (You might find this easier to notice if you repeatedly, and slowly, pull your head back and then move it forwards.)
With your upper ribs lifted your abdominal (and intercostals) have a foundation from which to act. They can then be used to help turn your lower ribcage and pelvis relative to your upper ribcage.
As you walk focus on keeping your upper chest facing your direction of travel. As your right leg moves forwards allow the right side of your pelvis to swing forwards. As your left leg swings forwards do the same with the left side of your pelvis.
Adding Power To Your Twist
This is a "passive" method of walking with a twist. To make your walk more authoritative, powerful or confident, focus on using your abs to turn your pelvis relative to your ribcage. Use the turning of your pelvis to swing your legs.
If your weight is on your left leg, use your inner left thigh muscles to twist your pelvis relative to your left leg. At the same time use your abs to turn your pelvis to the left so that your right leg swings forwards.
When your right heal touches the floor, shift your weight forwards and as you do so activate your right inner thigh to turn your pelvis relative to your right leg. Use your abdominals to turn your pelvis relative to your ribcage and swing your left leg forwards.
Using Your Inner Thighs
For more power, and a more connected walk, you can use the inner thigh of your hindmost leg. If you were standing on one leg the equivalent action would be to internally rotate your free leg so that it rotates inwards relative to your pelvis. The front of your free leg then moves inwards, towards the opposite side of the pelvis. If you do the same action while moving the pelvis instead of the leg, then the opposite side of the pelvis moves forwards and inwards causing the front of the hip joint to close.
Say you are swinging your left leg forwards while walking. As the left side of your pelvis swings forwards the front of your right hip closes laterally. Then it opens again when the right leg swings forwards.
You can add extra drive to each step by making this action more deliberate. Use the internal rotators of your back leg to help swing the opposite side of your pelvis forwards. At the same time use your abs to twist your lower ribcage so that your upper ribcage continues to face your direction of travel.
Letting Your Arms Swing
The final aspect of walking with a twist is allowing your arms to swing freely. Actually, you will probably find that walking with a twist causes your arms to swing of their own accords. Because in this method you upper ribcage acts as a foundation for the movement of your lower ribcage, it also acts as a foundation for the muscles that attach your shoulder blades to your ribcage. Because the ribcage is stable these muscles may tend to relax and so that your body as a whole stays balanced while you walk, your shoulder blades and arms will naturally swing as you walk.
For exercises to help you twist better so that it is easier to walk with a twist check out sensational-yoga-poses.com.
Neil Keleher is a yoga teacher and he lives in Taiwan. His interests range between yoga, tai ji, chinese calligraphy and understanding consciousness. For more on ab exercises read ab exercises
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