# Standing Side Bend Stretch: how to do it

- Main muscles: obliques, lats
- Equipment: bodyweight
- Level: beginner
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/standing_side_stretch/db1cd02b7e/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Stand tall with your feet about hip width apart and knees soft.
2. Reach one arm straight up beside your ear.
3. Stretch up tall, then lean sideways the other way, sliding your other hand down your leg.
4. Stop when you feel a stretch along your side and hold, breathing slowly.
5. Come back up to the middle and repeat on the other side.

## Cues

- Reach up before you lean over.
- Lean straight sideways, not forward.
- Chest stays facing forward.

## Common mistakes

- Leaning forward: keep your shoulders and hips in one flat plane.
- Twisting your chest: keep your chest facing straight ahead.
- Pushing your hips far out: keep them over your feet.

## The version in our demo

Standing, right arm reaching up and over the head, left arm long by the side with the hand sliding down the outside of the left thigh, trunk bending to the left (stretching the right side). This is the one-arm side reach from the Special Olympics guide; Healthwise's version clasps both hands overhead, and the one-arm form is easier for stiff shoulders.

## Starting position

Stand tall, feet hip to shoulder width (25–30 cm between the heels), toes forward, knees soft. Stomach lightly braced, pelvis level, arms by the sides. Raise the right arm straight up beside the ear, palm facing in.

## The movement

Reach up and lengthen first, then bend the trunk sideways to the left, letting the right arm arc over the head and the left hand slide down the outside of the left thigh. Stop when a stretch is felt down the right side from the hip to the armpit. Hold. The chest and hips keep facing forward (no twist, no forward lean), the hips stay over the feet and both feet stay flat.

## Breathing

Breathe in to lengthen, breathe out to ease further over.

## Tempo

Real sets: hold 15–30 s, 2–4 times per side, or slow alternating reaches side to side as a warm-up.

## Form in numbers

- Left hand slides 15–20 cm down the left thigh.
- Pelvis shifts no more than 2–3 cm to the right; trunk rotation 0°; trunk flexion 0° (side camera sees no forward lean).
- Knees 5–10° flexion; head follows the spine, neck relaxed.

## Sources

1. [Special Olympics, "Dynamic Stretches Guide" (Standing side reaches)](https://media.specialolympics.org/resources/health/fitness/Fitness-Dynamic-Streches-Guide.pdf)
2. [HealthLink BC (Healthwise), "Stretches" (Latissimus stretch)](https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthwise/stretches)

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/standing-side-stretch