Supine Scorpion
A gentle counterpart to the prone scorpion that keeps the shoulders grounded and the twist low-stress. From your back you sweep one leg across the body toward the opposite hand, driving a smooth rotation through the trunk. It is a relaxing way to decompress the spine after sitting or to finish a mobility flow.
- Equipment
- Body Weight
- Type
- Stretching
- Browse by muscle
- Abdominal External Oblique, Erector Spinae
- Target
- Abdominal External Oblique, Erector Spinae
- Secondary
- Gluteus Maximus, Deltoid Posterior
How to do it
- 1
Lie on your back with the arms stretched out to the sides in a T and palms down.
- 2
Lift one leg toward the ceiling with a slight bend in the knee.
- 3
Sweep that leg across the body toward the opposite hand, letting the hips rotate.
- 4
Keep both shoulder blades pressed into the floor as the leg travels over.
- 5
Pause at your end range and breathe into the stretch through the low back and glute.
- 6
Return the leg to the ceiling and back to the floor, then repeat on the other side.
Tips
- Prioritize keeping the shoulders down over how far the foot reaches across.
- Let the head turn away from the moving leg to deepen the spinal rotation.
- Move into and out of the position slowly rather than dropping the leg across.
Variations
Common mistakes
- The free hand reaches over and hauls the knee toward the floor, which turns a controlled rotation into a forced one and puts the pull on the knee rather than the trunk.
- A locked-out knee means the hamstring, not the spine, decides how far the leg travels. Keep a soft bend so rotation is what limits you.
- The foot gets aimed up toward the opposite shoulder instead of across at hip level, which moves the stretch to the outside of the hip and takes the low back out of it entirely.
- Breath gets held at the end range, and a held breath is the quickest way to make a relaxing position tense up. Let a slow exhale carry the leg the last few degrees.
- On the way back the leg gets yanked up and the low back arches off the floor to help, which undoes the decompression the position had just given you.
Frequently asked
- How long should I hold the supine scorpion, and how often?
- Two or three rounds a side, holding 20 to 30 seconds at the end of each sweep, suits most people, and it can be done every day. If you would rather keep it moving, five to eight slow reps a side with a two-second pause does the same job. After sitting for hours or at the end of a session is the natural slot for it, and unlike the prone version it is calm enough to use as a cool-down. Let the leg settle a little lower with each breath rather than starting at your absolute limit.
- How can I make the supine scorpion easier or harder?
- To ease it off, bend the knee more and let it rest on a cushion or folded blanket instead of hunting for the floor, and keep the sweeping leg higher up toward the ribs, which takes strain off the low back. To go further, straighten the knee as it crosses so the hamstring and outer hip come into it, hold there for several breaths, or begin with both legs straight so the crossing leg has further to travel.
- What is the supine scorpion good for, and who should skip it?
- It is a low-effort way to rotate the spine and let the low back and glutes lengthen, which suits the end of a session, a rest day, or an evening after long sitting. Because it calms rather than stimulates, it is a poor choice right before heavy lifting or sprinting, where you want the trunk stiff rather than loose. Stop and get advice if the twist sends pain, tingling or numbness down a leg, and keep the range small if your low back is easily irritated. The aim is a comfortable rotation you can breathe in, not the biggest twist you can reach.
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