This exercise is built from qigong theory and practice. This way of moving the spine and articulating the waist and heart region is found in internal martial arts, especially in arts like Baguazhang where twisting and turning the spine is essential to the movements.

This exercise twists the heart region of the torso horizontally in order to, as it was referred as, “breaking the back.” This breaking of the back is not literal, but more of in a figurative sense. Like when we neglect a piece of metal, it begins to rust. We then want to break off and file away the rust from the object. This is the sense the phrase means. Like breaking off the rust accumulated in the spine.

A modern saying in regard to health of the body, “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” For many people, they spend their lives moving as if their torso is like a solid block. Never articulating movement in the torso. This will mean the spine get less and less mobility as time goes on like this. The spine is a direct connection from our brain to the rest of our body, therefore the health of the spine is an important foundation for the rest of the body to be healthy.

The spine isn’t a stone rod, but it is a flexible wire with sections of bone to support the weight of the body. The spine can bend and sway, twist and turn, and undulate with fully 3D motion. So the spine must be exercised in all these ways to maintain its health. The first of which in these next few videos is going to work twisting and turning motion.

The exercise itself is simple in direction, but can be difficult for someone new to articulate the movement. One can do this standing. In such case make sure the hips remain stationary and the head looks straight ahead, while only the chest turns side to side. This isolation will cause both the lumbar and cervical sections of the spine to twist. Be sure that when doing this to treat your spine as if it is being pulled slightly at both ends. Like the crown of the skull is being pulled from above and the tip of the tail one is dropping and pointing downward between the feet from the force of gravity. Both actions will cause a lengthening to occur. This is a crucial part of the exercise. If the back is not lengthened and relaxed, it may be that the back is tight and shortened which can cause friction and grinding to occur within the vertebrae. If the lengthening takes place, there will be space between the vertebrae and movement can be done without grinding.

For those who are new to this type of movement, they should take it slow and steady. Listen to your body. Don’t turn farther than you are capable. Turn for slight stretch, but not till pain occurs. Repeat the movement 10 times to start and work to 20-30 times. You can do these throughout your day as you remember them.

For those working for flexibility, stretch and turn to the point it is slightly uncomfortable, but not painful. It should feel like a stretch, not an injury. 20-30 is a good goal to work for.

One can also use this as less of a flexibility drill and more of a loosening/warm-up drill. The repetitions are the same, but the quality of the movement is slightly different. The first few repetitions will be stretching, and once the practitioner feels good, the rest of the repetitions can be done with a more rubbery quality as if the heart region bounces from side to side. Not as if being thrown or slung, but light and relaxed turning allowing the muscularity to relax.

Here is the playlist for the full series:    • 3D Functional Strength Training  

Here is a link to my online classes: www.patreon.com/rjmamchenry

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