Hips, neck, upper back, wrists, shoulders and lower back

Reverse Table: Classic

Builds strength through the arms, shoulders, back body and hips while opening the front of the chest.

How to do it

1. 1

   Sit on the floor with knees bent, feet flat

   Feet about hip width apart, a comfortable distance from your hips.

2. 2

   Place your hands behind you with fingers pointing forward

   Hands about shoulder width, under or just behind the shoulders. Fists or fingertips are an option if flat palms bother the wrists.

3. 3

   Press down through hands and feet and lift the hips

   Lift toward a tabletop line, but only as high as you can hold without gripping. Lifting less and holding well is the better trade.

4. 4

   Keep the head in line with the chest

   Chin lightly tucked with the gaze up and forward, rather than letting the head hang back.

5. 5

   Hold for twenty to forty-five seconds, then lower

   Come down slowly and sit for a breath. Hands on blocks or the chair version reduce the load on the wrists and shoulders.

What to watch for

Chasing height by squeezing through the lower back and letting the head drop backwards. Lift less, keep the chin lightly tucked, and let the hips and legs do the lifting.

Ways to adjust it

• Chair-supported
• Hands on blocks
• Keep chin tucked
• Reduce range
• Reduce lift
• Fists or fingertips forward
• Hands closer
• Engage core

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits. See all Reverse Tabletop versions in one place, ordered from gentlest to strongest.

• Reverse Table: Chair Supported
• Reverse Table: Hands on Blocks

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.