Each Monday I am posting a new movement to add to your repertoire of exercises that you can do at home or during travel. Today we have the Russian Twist. The Russian twist is an abdominal exercise that moves the body in the transverse plane, rotating from side to side, instead of the more typical forward and backward sagittal plane movements.
If you are a beginner with this movement, forget about adding weight. Otherwise, you can use just about anything for weight: a kettlebell, medicine ball, dumbbell, sandbag, or Olympic plate.
Start by sitting upright on the ground with legs extended and together. With hands or weight in front of you, rotate your torso from one side to the other. As you rotate to each side, get your elbow close to, but not touching the floor. Keep your abdominal muscles tight to prevent arching your lower back and avoid shrugging the shoulders. As you progress with this exercise, you can add weight, lean your torso back further, and raise your legs in the air. Play around with this exercise to see what your level is and if you can use a weight. We will include Russian Twists in our workout on Wednesday.