The synonym for the word happy could be correct, and if we wanted to find a synonym for the word less happy, it could be incorrect. But with today’s information, research or studies, it is really difficult to name something in the issue related to exercise that something is right or wrong. That is why it has worked for me to name things or phenomena based on these facts in a more correct way for me. And the inspiration for my few lines? He lives literally all around me and so it was now. I came across an interesting observation that prompted me to move the idea forward.

As the name suggests, it will be a kind of selection. Choosing an exercise that is specifically aimed at exercising our core of the body, our “core”. Even before we get to the exercise itself, it would be good to reveal a few little things about how it all works. A common phenomenon when exercising the core of the body among exercisers is that if the exercise does not induce a proper burning sensation on the abdominal muscles, it is not a good exercise, a good workout. But it doesn’t always have to be about burning! It would be good to realize that the training of our core should serve to sufficiently develop the muscles in the area of the center of the body, which should serve as a junction, for the transfer of kinetic energy (force) that is produced from the lower area and spreads upwards, or vice versa, from the upper area downwards. All this should happen without overloading our axial-support system, the spine, which should always be in its natural, anteroposterior curvature, so as not to overload any of its segments. If we are going to talk about movements, especially if we are talking about dynamic movements, we should not overlook this fact and we should keep it in mind continuously. And this brings me to an exercise that I see practiced very often, and that is the “Russian twist”, or in our way “Russian twist”. Simply put, we are sitting on the ground, the lower limbs are bent in the foreleg and we are trying to “toss” from side to side a medicine ball, disc or kettlebell held in our hands. It is during these exercises that we very often see rotated movements, the division of movements in individual sectors of our body and the overall lack of stabilization of the torso. Another fact that arises on the basis of these overexposed movements are the torsional forces that act on the intervertebral discs. The more often our intervertebral discs are exposed to such negative forces, the more likely it is that sooner or later we get a problem in the form of bulging or herniation of the intervertebral discs. Not to mention other degenerative changes in the vertebrae. All this is intensified even more when we realize that these exercises are included in various high-intensity workouts, when there is a rapid alternation of exercises and fatigue not only muscle, but especially fatigue of the central nervous system results in really weak to almost no motor control over the exercise. Just to do the exercise under any circumstances. So fatigue and lack of motor control, in a word, ignorance, can lead to really serious problems.

Another kinesiological fact that could be food for thought is the mobility of our spine. And since there is rotation during the exercise, we will talk about it. The rotation on our spine is greatest in the cervical area, it is somewhere around 65°, in the thoracic area the rotation is more limited, it is around 30° and in the lumbar area it is really very small to almost non-existent, up to a maximum of 10°. And now, with a little imagination, imagine what values you can get to during the exercise? Not to mention that in any movement we perform, it should come from our hips. So our pelvis should be an integral part of our spine, our torso, and this does not happen in this exercise. I’m not saying that rotation should be suppressed in our lives, even eliminated, no ! On the contrary, our movement takes place in the natural rotability of the pelvis to the torso, but all this should happen in a controlled manner and not beyond the boundaries of anatomical and kinesiological principles.

In conclusion, I would like to point out once again that in my post I did not mean to forbid you to perform certain exercise rituals. I just wanted to bring you a few interesting things that could make you think a little bit about how it can actually work. And maybe direct you to what could be a kind of happier alternative to the mentioned exercise for you, for your body…

• Upright sitting – An exercise that activates the deep stabilizing muscles of our torso. During the exercise, we are aware of the connection between our torso and pelvis. During the time of staying in the position, we try to constantly straighten our torso and there should be no tilting of the pelvis forward or the pelvis should be planted backwards. Based on this fact, we also include the duration of stay in the position itself. It is better to repeat the exercise several in a row in a shorter time interval than to stay in the position for too long at the expense of insufficient stabilization and non-compliance with the principles. The exercise can be performed in the basic position, when the feet touch the ground, or in a more difficult version, when the legs are lifted off the ground.

• Progression of upright sitting with the addition of movement of the upper limbs – the variability of the movement of the upper limbs can be upright, from side to side, at a slow pace of execution, with alternating pace of execution, or with added external load. But don’t forget about the basics, the setup, and no matter what, it won’t be disrupted! If this is not the case and we are not able to handle any extension version, it is a signal for us that we should take a step back and stay in the easier version for some time until we are ready for the more difficult variant of the exercise.

• “Corkscrew” or “corkscrew” – a full-body exercise, a movement pattern of proper rotation of our body. An exercise in which in a vertical position, standing, the pelvis and torso are connected, oblique muscle chains are exercised, and all this without overloading our spine. The movement starts from the side, from the staggered oblique squat, followed by the transition to standing, arm to forearm, until the transition to an oblique squat to the other side. An external load in the form of a plate, kettlebell or medicine ball is held in the hands. Repeat the exercise several times, either from side to side or always to one side and to the other side in the next set.