Do Hips Need to be Square When Twisting the Spine?

By Liz Koch

I am going to answer a great question from YesPilates.com on why keeping the hips squared can result in more Core Integrity.

Q: Do hips need to be square when doing twists? For example, when a person is sitting with legs and feet straightforward in front of them, should they keep the heels together (without sliding), to keep the hips square while doing spinal twists?

A: The idea of squaring the pelvis is a very useful concept. The pelvis works as part of the mid-line and trunk, NOT the leg. All movement emerges from the core and each hip socket translates information through the leg and foot. So having a functional pelvis that moves as one is essential for a healthy psoas and for receiving good neurological signals throughout the whole being.

However I’d like to explore this idea further by defining Core Integrity. The human organism is organized around a “mid-line”, which includes the spinal cord and skeletal spinal column. The mid-line extends from the head to the tip of the coccyx. Therefore the pelvic basin is part of the core NOT the leg. The psoas is an organ of perception, a messenger of the central nervous system. It is continuously sending and receiving messages concerning the coherency of the mid-line. For healthy functioning, there must be a continuous communication throughout our mid-line or what I am calling Core Integrity. With this in mind we can look at every position from whether or not Core Integrity can be maintained. If I cannot maintain Core Integrity then the exploration is immediately compromised. At the least, practicing a faulty way of moving is useless, and at the worst, it causes profound injury.

When Core Integrity is compromised it is vital to modify the position (i.e. place a flat folded towel under both hips to lift the pelvic ischial tuberosites, also known as sitz bones, higher than the knees, or utilize a different position (i.e. sit on the tuberosites, on a flat seated chair with both feet flat on floor) for gaining the same results.

To sit with the legs straight in front and maintain Core Integrity assumes that I am sitting on top of my sitz bones with a neutral relaxed spine. If this is not possible then every other movement will show compromise. If my hamstring muscles allow me to sit upright with legs straight ahead on top of the sitz bones without strain and/or without my pelvic basin being pulled down and under with my legs, then keeping the heels of my feet together helps maintain the integrity of my pelvic sacral iliac joints and in turn allows for the spinal twist to come from two very specific locations (see below). However most psoas pain and dysfunction emerge from just this type of compromise where the sacral iliac ligaments have been torn or over stretched and are lacking integrity, which results in pelvic tips, dips or twists (i.e. one ileum moves differently than the other). This dysfunction disrupts the mid-line coherency and causes extensive painful problems. The psoas and iliacus muscles stepping up to attempt to maintain coherency begins behaving as a ligament. Instead of being juicy, supple, and responsive, the psoas begin to become exhausted, inflamed and shortened.

Only when I am aligned can a twist impulse emerge from one of two locations. It begins as a rotation at the ball and socket joints, with the whole pelvis, spine and head slightly spiraling to one side. This type of twist wakes up the ball and socket joints. Or it begins in the spinal column with a subtle feeling of wringing out the tissue (erector spinae, multifidus, and psoas) all around the spinal column. While exploring this type of twist, it is essential for the head to move at the same rate and distance as the spine to avoid twisting the cervical spine faster or further than the rest of the spine.

About the Author: Liz Koch is an international somatic educator, and creator of Core Awareness TM focusing on awareness for developing human potential. With thirty years experience working with and specializing in the iliopsoas, she is recognized in the somatic, bodywork and fitness professions as an authority on the core muscle. Liz is the author of The Psoas Book, Unraveling Scoliosis CD, Core Awareness; Enhancing Yoga, Pilates, Exercise & Dance, and The Psoas & Back Pain CD. Please visit www.coreawareness.com for workshop information and to join her quarterly newsletter to receive free tele-seminars and discount coupons.

Tags: Core Awareness, liz koch, pilates, the psoas book