Seated Side Bend on a Chair

Perform the seated side bend on a chair to stretch your obliques and improve flexibility.

  1. Sit upright on the edge of a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Raise one arm overhead and lean to the opposite side, feeling the stretch along your side.
  3. Hold the position for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.
  4. Repeat on the other side.

How to perform the Seated Side Bend on a Chair

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Seated Side Bend on a Chair 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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Variations of Seated Side Bend on a Chair

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