Stretch

Standing Side Reach

Reach one arm overhead and bend sideways - a stretch for the obliques and the whole side of the torso that spends the day compressed in a chair. It takes fifteen seconds a side and you don't even need to leave your desk.

BeginnerNo equipment~2 min

Demonstration

Hold

20s

Per side

×1

Best for

MorningPost-desk

How to do it

  1. 1

    Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.

  2. 2

    Reach your right arm straight overhead, left hand on your hip.

  3. 3

    Bend your torso to the left, reaching the right arm up and over.

  4. 4

    Keep both feet planted and hips level - bend sideways, not forward.

  5. 5

    Breathe into the right side of your ribs, hold, then switch sides.

Common mistakes

  • Leaning forward or backward instead of bending purely sideways
  • Letting the hips shift instead of anchoring them
  • Rushing it - the side body opens with slow breaths