Spinal rolling for relaxation

These notes combine advice from 10 reviewed passages across 5 workouts.

Overview

Coach’s claim

The rotten egg (çürük yumurta) is a floor exercise in which you hold your knees, round the body into a ball, and roll on your back. Coach presents it as a way to relax, including after bridge work. [1] [2] [3] [6] [8]

The main demands are keeping the body tightly rounded, keeping the knees closed, tucking the chin, and controlling the roll. [2] [3] [4] [5] [8] [10]

How to do it

Hold the right knee with one hand and the left knee with the other. Round the body into a closed ball, like the shape used in a forward roll. Keep the knees joined and closed, and do not let them open. The position stays closed, with the knees to both sides. [3] [4] [8] [9] [10]

Tuck the chin and keep it tucked throughout the roll. Roll thoroughly, all the way to the neck. Press the back down into the floor and relax there. Bring the feet together. Control the rolling. [2] [5] [10]

Keep a closed position with the knees to both sides as you roll, then rise directly upward. [3] [9]

Using it for recovery

Coach’s claim

Use the roll after bridge work. Turn over and do the rotten egg on the floor as a way to relax. The rolling works like kneading the back on the floor. [2] [6] [8] [9]

Effects on the back

Coach’s claim

Rolling while holding the knees is presented as good for the back and as a way to relax it. [1] [7]

Coach’s claim

Rolling with the chin tucked is presented as massaging the spine and relaxing it, especially after bridge work. [2]

Coach’s claim

The movement is also presented as strengthening the back. [7]

Coach’s claim

Coach presents the movement as a way to relax and strengthen the back. [7]

Sources

1. 2024-04-19, 4436.1-4444.7s

Workout: workout:2024-04-19

Passage: passage:2024-04-19:001551-001554

2. 2024-04-19, 4445.4-4469.3s

Workout: workout:2024-04-19

Passage: passage:2024-04-19:001556-001560

3. 2024-06-22, 4142.7-4160.1s

Workout: workout:2024-06-22

Passage: passage:2024-06-22:001559-001568

4. 2024-06-22, 4173.4-4190.5s

Workout: workout:2024-06-22

Passage: passage:2024-06-22:001572-001577

5. 2024-12-01, 3229.5-3245.7s

Workout: workout:2024-12-01

Passage: passage:2024-12-01:001036-001044

6. 2025-09-08, 3665.9-3672.2s

Workout: workout:2025-09-08

Passage: passage:2025-09-08:001311-001313

7. 2025-09-08, 3825.0-3833.7s

Workout: workout:2025-09-08

Passage: passage:2025-09-08:001341-001344

8. 2025-09-10, 2832.1-2842.6s

Workout: workout:2025-09-10

Passage: passage:2025-09-10:000977-000979

9. 2025-09-10, 2977.2-2999.6s

Workout: workout:2025-09-10

Passage: passage:2025-09-10:001003-001008

10. 2025-09-10, 3001.3-3013.3s

Workout: workout:2025-09-10

Passage: passage:2025-09-10:001010-001011