Sitting Alternate Knee to Elbow Twist

How to do the Sitting Alternate Knee to Elbow Twist

1. 1Sit on a mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. 2Lean your torso back roughly 45 degrees so your trunk is at an angle and your abs are engaged, keeping your spine neutral rather than rounded.
3. 3Lift your feet a few inches off the floor so your body forms a V shape, balancing on your sit bones.
4. 4Extend your arms out to the sides or cross them lightly in front of your chest.
5. 5Rotate your torso to the right while simultaneously drawing your right knee in toward your left elbow.
6. 6Return to center briefly, then rotate to the left and draw your left knee toward your right elbow.
7. 7Continue alternating sides in a controlled, rhythmic fashion, keeping your hips low and your feet off the floor throughout.
8. 8Complete the target number of reps, then lower your feet to the floor and sit upright to finish.

Form tips

• Keep the movement deliberate — rotate through your torso, not just your arms, so the obliques do the work.
• Breathe out as you twist to each side and in as you return to center to maintain core pressure.
• Hold your chin off your chest and keep your gaze forward so the neck stays neutral.
• If your lower back rounds excessively, reduce the lean angle or rest your feet lightly on the floor until your core strength improves.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the lower back heavily throughout the set, which shifts stress onto the lumbar spine and reduces oblique engagement.
• Moving only the arms or elbows rather than rotating the torso, which takes the obliques out of the movement entirely.
• Letting the feet drop to the floor between reps, which relieves tension on the core and turns the exercise into a rest-based movement.
• Rushing through reps with momentum instead of controlled rotation, which reduces time under tension and increases the risk of neck strain.

Frequently asked questions