Alternating Heel Touch

oec:alternating-heel-touch

A supine bodyweight core exercise targeting the obliques through alternating lateral flexion of the torso.

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Also called: Heel Touches, Penguin Crunch, Penguins, Lying Heel Touch, Heel Taps

How to do it

Lie face-up on an exercise mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, spaced hip-width apart.
Position your feet roughly one to two hand lengths away from your glutes.
Rest your arms along your sides, palms facing inward or down toward the floor.

Engage your abdominals and lift your head and shoulder blades slightly off the floor, keeping your lower back in contact with the mat.
Laterally flex your torso to the right, sliding your right hand along the floor until your fingertips touch your right heel.
Pause briefly to contract the right oblique, then reverse the motion smoothly back through center.
Without lowering your shoulders to the floor, laterally flex your torso to the left and touch your left heel with your left hand.
Return through center and continue alternating sides in a controlled cadence.

Maintain rhythmic breathing, exhaling as you reach toward each heel and inhaling as you cross through center.

Pulling from the neck or excessively tucking the chin to the chest.: Keep space between your chin and chest, letting the upper abdominals hold the torso elevated.
Placing the feet too close or too far away, preventing proper oblique engagement.: Adjust foot distance so that reaching your heel requires full torso lateral flexion without hip shifting.
Letting the shoulder blades rest between repetitions.: Maintain continuous isometric flexion in the upper abdominals throughout the set.

Avoid this exercise if loaded lateral spinal flexion exacerbates active lower-back or disc issues.

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