Spine and hips
5 Supine Twist variations, from gentlest to strongest
Also called supine spinal twist, lying twist, reclined twist.
Rotation done lying down, with the floor supporting the whole spine. Rotation is usually the first range a day of sitting takes, and this is the least demanding way to get it back.
Start here
The list runs from the most supported version to the most demanding. Supine Twist: Seated Chair is the one to begin with. Harder is not better: the version you can do without gripping is the one doing the work.
Every version in the library
1 · Spinal Mobility · 30 to 90 seconds
Supine Twist: Seated Chair
The most accessible spinal rotation: a gentle seated twist that improves rotational mobility with virtually no load on your spine, suitable for even highly sensitive backs.
Make it work for you: Reduce range. Small range. Gaze forward
2 · Spinal Mobility · 60 to 180 seconds
Supine Twist: Small Range
A small range of rotation gently mobilises your spine with minimal load, making rotational mobility accessible for sensitive backs while still reducing stiffness.
Make it work for you: Pillow between knees
3 · Spinal Mobility · 60 to 180 seconds
Supine Twist: Supported
The bolster limits how far your knees drop, providing supported rotational mobility that lets you relax into the stretch without going beyond a comfortable range.
Make it work for you: Small range
4 · Spinal Mobility · 60 to 180 seconds
Supine Twist: Straight Bottom Leg
The same gentle spinal rotation as the classic twist, with your bottom leg extended for a longer line through the hip, releasing tension through your back and hips.
Make it work for you: Small range. Pillow between knees. Bolster
5 · Spinal Mobility · 60 to 180 seconds
Supine Twist: Classic
Passive spinal rotation lying on your back gently mobilises your spine and releases tension through your back and hips, promoting ease of movement and comfort.
Make it work for you: Small range. Pillow between knees. Bolster
When to stop and ask someone
Nothing on this page can tell whether what you are feeling is ordinary mechanical back pain or something that needs looking at, and the published guidance is direct about that distinction. NICE asks clinicians to think about alternative diagnoses when symptoms are new or have changed, and to exclude specific causes such as cancer, infection, trauma or inflammatory disease.
In practice that means stopping and speaking to someone rather than working through it if the pain followed a significant fall or accident, if it comes with fever or unexplained weight loss, if it wakes you at night and does not change when you change position, or if there is weakness in a leg rather than only pain.
One group needs same-day medical attention rather than a phone call: numbness around the groin or back passage, any change in bladder or bowel control, or weakness developing in both legs.
- NICE NG59, low back pain and sciatica in over 16s, recommendation 1.1.1
Think about alternative diagnoses when examining or reviewing people with low back pain, particularly if they develop new or changed symptoms, and exclude specific causes such as cancer, infection, trauma or inflammatory disease.
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.
Every version above is drawn from the clinically authored Vinys library. This page is general movement information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. What helps for a specific condition.