<p>Self-sustained continuous motion is a central functional objective in soft actuators and robotics. One key challenge lies in establishing a persistent, self-regulated deformation feedback in soft materials under external stimulation, which is ultimately rooted in their geometry and configuration. Here, based on a cylindrical hydrogel with fast, reversible, and anisotropic photoresponsiveness, we construct a series of hydrogel rings by twisting one end of the gel string and closing it into a loop. By regulating the built-in twist (<i>Tw</i>) and the resulting internal prestress, the rings adopt distinct configurations that give rise to multiple motion modes under light irradiation. Gel rings with relatively small <i>Tw</i> remain in quasi-flat configurations and display coupled rolling and spinning motions. As <i>Tw</i> increases, the rings undergo Michell’s instability and rapidly snap into a figure-of-eight configuration upon light irradiation, subsequently exhibiting irregular tumbling motions. At even larger <i>Tw</i>, the rings adopt “dough twist” configurations, showing persistent rolling under constant irradiation. Distinct motion modes arise from different actuation-deformation feedback loops established in hydrogels with distinct configurations and stress distributions. These results demonstrate not only the role of the configuration in governing locomotion, but also the potential of a single hydrogel system to achieve diverse motion behaviors through programming internal stresses.</p>