This side bend strengthens your shoulders and core while improving mobility in the shoulders and sides of your body. This posture is also important for increasing spinal mobility and relieving tension in your spine and hips. Start with a shallow bend, and focus on feeling the stretch in the correct areas.
Standing Side Bend Pose Target Areas
- shoulders
- core
- spine
- side body
Standing Side Bend Pose Benefits
- Improves shoulder mobility and health
- Corrects posture
- Increases upper-body strength and endurance
How to Do Standing Side Bend
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- Stand in Mountain pose with your big toes nearly touching and your heels about 1in (2.5cm) apart. Interlace your fingers overhead. Lock your arms, and point your index fingers to the ceiling.
- Rotate your arms inward so your biceps face your ears. Press down into the heels and the balls of your feet. Make your body as tall as possible, then lean to the right with your upper body, hips lightly pressing in the opposite direction. Hold the posture, inhaling as you get taller, and exhaling as you bend deeper. Repeat on the left side.
Cues for Standing Side Bend
- Engage core
- Turn biceps to face slightly back
- Engage thighs
- Press evenly through feet
- Lock knees
- Keep torso facing forward, not turning to the side
WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL
- Stretch from hip to shoulder
- Muscle engagement in thighs, core, obliques, and shoulders
WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL
- Uneven shoulders; ensure shoulders are even, facing straight forward
PRO TIP: For better core stability, squeeze your thighs toward one another, and engage the muscles in the side of the body that you are stretching.
About Dean Pohlman, Founder & CEO of Man Flow Yoga, Author of Yoga Fitness for Men, Expert on Yoga Fitness for Men.
Dean Pohlman is an E-RYT 200 certified yoga instructor and the founder of Man Flow Yoga. Dean is widely considered to be an authority on Yoga for Men. He has worked with physical therapists to create yoga programs for back health and spinal recovery. His workouts and programs have been used by professional and collegiate athletes, athletic trainers, and personal trainers; and have been recommended by physical therapists, doctors, chiropractors, and other medical professionals.
Dean is a successfully published author through DK Publishing (Yoga Fitness for Men), selling 35,000 copies worldwide in English, French, and German; in addition to being a co-producer of the Body by Yoga DVD Series, which has sold over 40,000 copies on Amazon since its release in 2016.
Man Flow Yoga has been featured in Muscle & Fitness Magazine, Mens’ Health, The Chicago Sun, New York Magazine, and many more major news media outlets.
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