Standing side bend
A standing side bend reaches one arm up and over your head while the other hand slides down the outside of your thigh. It stretches the side of the trunk, from the hip to the armpit, which gets little movement at a desk. Hold each side for about 12 seconds.
How to do the standing side bend
- Stand tall, feet hip-width.
- Reach one arm up and over your head and lean the other way, sliding your other hand down your thigh.
- Hold, come back up, then switch.
What it works
- Side of the trunk
How long and how often
In a movement break it's a 12-second hold on each side, about 35 seconds in total, and it can come up in the “Upper back & chest”, “Hips & low back” and “Full-body reset” classes. It's meant to be repeated through the day in short breaks rather than done once; doing it regularly matters more than the exact timing.
Tips
- Lean sideways, not forward
- Reach long
- Keep breathing
Who should skip it
- Poor balance or a fall risk: choose a seated move instead (Moveful does this for you when it's ticked in the health check)
Move gently, in a comfortable range. Stop if you feel sharp pain, numbness, tingling or dizziness.
Try it with the guided 3D figure →
Seated cat-cow
Seated twist