People’s lifestyle has changed a lot over the years. Modern life makes everyone move at a faster pace and want things to be quick and instant. Unfortunately, this type of lifestyle is somehow considered not healthy. People start to choose processed and fast food rather than fresh meals, soda over water, and spend most of their days sitting down. This poor diet combined with lack of physical activities can be a time bomb for the health and there is a long list of diseases caused by this sort of lifestyle.
You may be one of these people who are struggling to live a healthier life because of how limited time you have to prepare healthy food or do some exercises. As for the diet, today, there are so many options you can choose from. We will leave you to it. Here, we are going to introduce you to a simple and effective exercise you can do right at home before starting the day. It is called Russian Twist. What is it actually? Read on.
Is it really that simple?
Well, it is. You don’t need any equipment, but just make sure you sit on a comfortable surface. Here are the steps:
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent like when you are about to do a “sit-up”.
- Put your feet together, and then lift a bit off the ground so they are now hovering. Or you can put them down on the floor for a beginner variation.
- Keep your back and torso straight at a 45 degree angle.
- Keep your arms away from the body. You can interlock your fingers or hold a weight for more effect.
- Swing your arms from one side to the other in a twisting motion, with each swing counted as a repetition.
- Do not stop between repetitions and remember to breathe regularly.
It may sound simple, but just like any other exercises, warming up is a must before going ahead with the Russian Twist to prevent any injuries from happening.
What are the benefits of doing Russian Twist?
When you start doing this exercise, you will instantly feel that the abdominal muscle is the main target of the twist. But actually, there are more benefits you can get from doing Russian Twist other than just achieving the six-pack abs. Here what you can expect:
- Reduce the risks of cardiovascular illnesses.
- Help to ease the back pains.
- Fixing the body posture, especially for them who sit a lot with arched back.
- Strengthen the core and lower back.
- Help to ease knee pains.
- Improve body flexibility and stability.
So, you can see now, that this simple exercise can do a lot for your body if done regularly and with commitment. It won’t take long before you start to feel the benefit and change it does to your body.
Russian Twist variations
Although it is simple, Russian Twist could give off a sharp sensation for people who are not used to doing sports or exercises such as tight feeling around the back and torso. It is advised to take Russian Twist one step at a time especially if you are just about to try this type of exercise. Start with both feet placed on the ground and nothing in your hands. As you are getting used to it, here are some of the variations you can try:
1. Weighted Russian Twist
Hold a weight in your hands – you can rest it on end of it on your chest and the other on your chin – keep the weight in position while you twist your body. You can also raise the weigh while you are in the middle position and lower it while doing the twist.
2. Decline Russian Twist
Use a decline bench and sit back until your abs are contracted – do not lie on the bench, keep your back off of the bench. Hold your arms out, and rotate them side to side while maintaining your torso and back straight. Keep breathing regularly.
3. Standing Barbell Russian Twist
Like the name, you won’t be sitting down in this variation. Stand up straight while holding one end of a barbell with your arms straight out in front of you with both hands and the other end resting on the floor. Twist your body while rotating the barbell with you from side to side. Remember to do the movement with your hips, not the arms.
Take caution!
With every physical exercise come the benefits as well as the risks, including the Russian Twist. Make sure you do your research before you are sure you want to do it especially if you plan to do it at home with no professional supervision. You have to do all kinds of exercises correctly because it involves your one and only body. Reckless movements can lead to serious injuries that some could be quite fatal that will need a long time to recover or even cause permanent damages.
Last question out
Is the Russian Twist originally from Russia? The answer is: yes! It is said to be developed in the Soviet Union during the Cold War as one of the training core exercises for the Russian soldiers. It is today used as a basic exercise for sports such as tennis, baseball, swimming, hockey, lacrosse, boxing, and many more. Basically, it is a great exercise to strengthen the core and back. For all of you who are dreaming of a perfect body shape but not wanting to go through all the hassle of programmed workouts and all, then this simple and effective exercise could be the one for you. However, you have to carry it together with right food intake for an all-around benefit.