Standing Side Stretch

Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Reach your right arm overhead and lean to the left, feeling a stretch along your right side.

Hold for a few seconds, then return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Raise your right arm overhead.
  3. Lean to the left, keeping your hips stable.
  4. Hold the stretch, then return to the center.
  5. Repeat on the other side.

How to perform the Standing Side Stretch

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Standing Side Stretch 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 latissimus dorsi.
  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 latissimus dorsi 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 Standing Side Stretch

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