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Exercise guide
Thread the Needle
A kneeling rotation: one arm slides under the body and the shoulder and side of the head rest on the floor, rotating the thoracic spine passively.
What this exercise works
- Muscles
- posterior deltoid · trapezius · erector spinae · obliques
- Goals
- mobility
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Category
- Stretching
- Difficulty
- beginner
Demonstration
Step 1
How to perform the movement
- Start on all fours with the hands under the shoulders and the knees under the hips.
- Slide one arm underneath the body, palm facing up, until the shoulder and the side of the head rest on the mat.
- Keep the hips stacked over the knees and walk the top hand forward or wrap it behind the back.
- Hold the twist for the prescribed time, breathing into the upper back.
- Press the top hand into the floor to come up and repeat on the other side.
Technique cues and common mistakes
- Keep the hips high over the knees; dropping them turns the rotation into a side bend.
- Rest the head on a block if the shoulder cannot reach the floor comfortably.
- Let the shoulder settle with the breath instead of pushing the twist deeper by force.