Lateral Bend Lying Down

Perform the lateral bend lying down to stretch the muscles along your sides.

  1. Lie on your side with your legs extended and stacked.
  2. Keep your lower arm extended in front of you for support.
  3. Raise your upper arm overhead and gently bend your torso to the side.
  4. Hold the stretch for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.

How to perform the Lateral Bend Lying Down

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Lateral Bend Lying Down using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your abdominals.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your abdominals rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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