Standing Sidebend is a warm up pose that improves spine and shoulder mobility, stretches the obliques and relieves pain in between the shoulder blades. It’s a great one to practice everyday—before your workout, move dynamically with your breath, and after your workout, spend a few breaths on each side in a static stretch.
STANDING SIDEBEND BENEFITS
- Stretches the stretches the TFL, obliques, lats, intercostals, shoulders and arms.
- Increases spinal mobility.
- Improves breathing efficiency.
- Can help to alleviate pain in between the shoulder blades.
CATEGORY
SKILL LEVEL
- Beginner
INSTRUCTIONS
- Set-Up
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing straight ahead.
- Action
Inhale, sweep your arms out and up, interlace your fingers leaving your index and middle fingers free to point up. Exhale, engage your core, and bend to the right. Inhale, come back to centre, reach up. Exhale, bend to the left.
- Refinements
Keep your chest open and your arms by your ears to avoid twisting or collapsing forward.
- Variation
You can also interlace your fingers and press the palms of your hands up to the sky.
- Duration
Repeat 2-5 times on each side—moving with your breath.
CONTRAINDICATION
- Avoid Standing Sidebend if you have a shoulder or lower back injury.
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