The side-lying floor stretch is performed lying on your side with your top arm reaching overhead and your top leg crossing over the bottom for a deep lateral body stretch. The position uses gravity and body weight to stretch the lats, obliques, and quadratus lumborum without active effort.
Muscle Group
Back, Core
Equipment Required
Bodyweight
Type
Flexibility
Equipment
Band
Difficulty
Intermediate
Key Benefits
- Stretches the side body, lats, and obliques
- Passive stretch — no active effort required
- Calming and restorative
- Improves lateral spinal flexibility
- No equipment needed
- Excellent before sleep or as a cool-down
How to perform
- Lie on your right side with both legs extended. Rest your head on your right arm extended overhead.
- Cross your left leg over your right, planting your left foot in front of your right thigh on the floor.
- Reach your left arm up and over your head, alongside your ear.
- Press your hips forward slightly to deepen the stretch through your right side body.
- Feel the stretch through your right lats, obliques, and quadratus lumborum.
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Breathe deeply.
- Switch sides and repeat.
- Use a pillow under your head if more comfortable.
FRONT VIEW
BACK VIEW
Back
Primary
Obliques
Primary