The American Twist

A Great Exercise When Done in an “Age-Appropriate Manner” 

Benjamin Goode

bengoode@charter.net

www.bengoode-seniorfitness.blogspot.com

There have been many variations of this exercise performed here in the U.S. and since the origin of the so-called Russian Twist is a subject of continued debate, I prefer to call it the American Twist. 

At the gym, I see a lot of eager beavers grab a medicine ball, sink to the floor and vigorously begin their idiosyncratic version of the Russian, i.e., American Twist.  Many of them sit in a slumped, hyperflexed position as they swing the ball from side to side in a rather hurried manner.  Most of them are young (under 21), flexible, and in good shape. They can get away with this potentially injurious practice.

For us senior exercisers, it’s a different story.  We have to do the Twist correctly, in a controlled, deliberate way, with two important modifications.

1. Make sure to keep your back as straight as possible while doing this exercise.
2. Lean back only so far as your abdominal strength will allow.

Unlike our junior gym-mates, our muscles are somewhat tighter and shorter.  They’ve lost elasticity.  Our intervertebral discs have dried out and have lost much of their shock absorbing function.  Our spinal joints have undergone osteoarthritic changes.  We ought to keep these factors in mind when we do strenuous exercises like the Twist.

Sit on the floor with your knees flexed and your feet firmly planted.  Hold a light medicine ball directly in front of you in both outstretched hands. Keeping your back straight, lean back until you reach a comfortable, sustainable position. (An ideal setup would be a GHD Bench or an inclined bench that would allow you to lean back unassisted.)  If you begin to tire and find yourself hunching over into a “round-back,” hyperflexed position, stop doing the exercise.  To continue in this position puts you at risk of serious spinal injury. A twisting motion of the flexed spine places severe shearing forces on the articular facets of the vertebrae.  Small capsular ligaments that hold the vertebral joint in alignment can stretch and tear – a cause of chronic pain and disability.     (Read about this condition in Back Surgery-Avoid the Nightmare.)

Do this exercise with the above-mentioned, age-appropriate modifications and reap the rewards of:

• Increased range of motion in the rotation of the shoulders and upper torso; 
• Strengthening of the muscles that support and protect the lower back; 
• Cosmetic benefits of flat belly and slim waist.

Dr. Dalfino's blog on spinal decompression raises an interesting question:  How exactly can you target a specific spinal segment?  You know, there are really two distinct sources of disc pain.  There's discogenic pain resulting directly from the exposed sensory nerves in the disc itself.  And then there's the sciatic pain resulting from compression of a spinal nerve root by a bulging or herniated disc.