Lying Windshield Wipers
What Are Lying Windshield Wipers?
Lying Windshield Wipers are an isolation exercise that primarily targets the core, mainly the obliques, and also takes the lower back and hips through a gentle rotation. They are a beginner-level movement done lying on your back with your knees bent and pressed together, letting both knees sway from side to side like a windshield wiper while your shoulders and arms stay on the floor.
In physical therapy the same movement is called the supine lower trunk rotation, and it is one of the most common home exercises for a stiff lower back. There is no load and no balance demand, so the goal is smooth, controlled range rather than strength. That makes Lying Windshield Wipers a good fit for warm-ups before lifting or running, cooldowns, morning mobility routines and short breaks from long periods of sitting.
As the knees lower to one side, the pelvis rolls with them while the shoulders stay anchored, so the twist happens through the lower and middle back. The obliques control the descent and draw the legs back to the center, and at the end of each rep you may feel a light stretch along the side of the trunk, the lower back and the outside of the top hip. Keeping the knees squeezed together moves the legs and pelvis as one unit. Setting the feet wide and letting the knees drop inward is a different drill that mainly works hip internal and external rotation, closer to the 90/90 Hip Switch, and the legs-raised or legs-straight windshield wiper is a far harder core strength exercise.
Lying Windshield Wipers suit beginners, older adults and anyone who feels stiff through the lower back or hips. If the full range is uncomfortable, simply lower the knees a shorter distance, which usually grows over a few sessions. To make the obliques work harder, lift the feet so the hips and knees are bent to 90 degrees before rotating, and to hold the end position instead of moving through it, use the Lying Spinal Twist.
Muscles Worked
- External Oblique
- Primary
- Rectus Abdominis
- Medium
- Gluteus Maximus
- Minimal
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Minimal
Instructions
- Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat, pressing your knees and feet together.
- Stretch your arms out to the sides, angled slightly below shoulder height, with your palms resting on the floor.
- Rest your head on the floor and gently brace your abs.
- Keeping your knees together, slowly lower both knees to the right, letting your hips roll and your feet tip onto their sides.
- Stop while both shoulders are still on the floor and pause for a second or two.
- Use your obliques to draw your knees back up to the center.
- Lower both knees to the left in the same way, then return to the center.
- Keep alternating sides for 10 to 12 reps per side, breathing out as the knees lower and in as they come back up.
Common Mistakes
Lifting the opposite shoulder
Letting the shoulder on the far side peel off the floor means you have rotated past your range and takes the anchor away from the upper body.
Letting the knees split apart
When the knees drift apart the top leg lags behind, the pelvis stops moving as one unit and the rotation turns into an uneven hip movement.
Dropping the legs with momentum
Letting gravity throw the knees to the side jolts the lower back at end range instead of letting the obliques control the descent.
Forcing the knees to the floor
The knees only need to go as far as they can while both shoulders stay down, and pushing further mostly strains the lower back.
Rushing the reps
Quick, jerky swings skip the brief pause at each side that lets the trunk relax into the rotation.
Holding the breath
Holding your breath keeps the trunk tense, while breathing out as the knees lower helps the range open up.
Injuries
Lying Windshield Wipers are a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. You lie fully supported on the floor, there is no load, and you decide how far the knees travel, so problems usually come from dropping the legs quickly or forcing them past a comfortable range.
The lower back is the main strain point. Letting the knees fall with momentum or pushing them toward the floor can leave the lower back or the joints at the back of the pelvis feeling irritated, and a shoulder peeling off the floor is the sign you have rotated too far. Move slowly, keep a light brace in your abs, stop each rep while both shoulders are still down, and keep your head resting on the floor to spare your neck.
To make the movement easier, shorten the range or place a pillow on each side to lower the knees onto. Once the full range feels easy, lift the feet into a tabletop position with the hips and knees bent to 90 degrees, which asks more of the obliques, or build core control with the Dead Bug. Save the legs-straight windshield wiper for when those are well controlled.
Stop if you feel sharp pain in the back or hip, or if pain, numbness or tingling spreads into either leg. Twisting does not suit every lower back problem, especially during a disc-related flare-up, so anyone recovering from a back injury should check with a clinician first. After about 20 weeks of pregnancy, lying flat on the back for long periods can lower blood pressure, so keep sets short or choose a rotation done on your side, such as the Open Book Stretch.
- Primary Focus
- Core
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Stretching
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Are Lying Windshield Wipers a stretch or a core exercise?
They are mainly a mobility drill for the lower back and trunk, with the obliques working lightly to lower and return the legs. For more core work, lift the feet into a tabletop position before rotating or move on to the Dead Bug.
- Q: Do my knees need to touch the floor?
No. Lower them only as far as you can while both shoulders stay on the floor, which for many people is partway down, and the range usually improves over a few sessions.
- Q: Should my feet be together or wide apart?
Keep them together for this version, so the legs and pelvis move as one unit and the rotation comes from the trunk. Setting the feet wide and letting the knees drop inward is a separate drill for hip internal and external rotation, such as the 90/90 Hip Switch.
- Q: Can I do Lying Windshield Wipers with lower back pain?
Many physical therapy programs use this movement for general lower back stiffness, and it is often comfortable when kept slow and within a small range. If twisting increases your pain or sends symptoms into your leg, stop and get advice from a clinician.
- Q: How many reps should I do?
About 10 to 12 slow reps per side, with a pause of a second or two at each side, works well in a warm-up or mobility routine.
- Q: How is this different from the Lying Spinal Twist?
Lying Windshield Wipers move continuously from side to side, so they suit warm-ups and loosening up a stiff back. The Lying Spinal Twist holds one side at end range for a longer, deeper stretch.