Which breathing cue accompanies twists?

• A. Hold your breath while twisting.
• B. With each inhale lengthen your spine, with each exhale twist a little deeper.
• C. Exhale as you twist, then rest.
• D. Inhale and hold, then twist.

Answer: (B)

Breathing during twists should coordinate with movement to create space and control. Inhaling helps lengthen the spine and lift the chest, giving you more room to rotate without jamming or compressing the spine. Exhaling as you twist deepens the movement in a controlled way, engages the core, and helps you stabilize the torso so the twist stays safe rather than collapsing or over-rotating. This pattern—inhale to lengthen, exhale to deepen—keeps the body aligned and the twist intentional. Holding the breath or twisting without this coordinated rhythm can lead to tension or strain, so the cue that matches safe, controlled twisting is the inhale-lengthen, exhale-deepen approach.