This side bend strengthens your shoulders and core while improving mobility in the shoulders and sides of your body. This posture is also important for increasing spinal mobility and relieving tension in your spine and hips. Start with a shallow bend, and focus on feeling the stretch in the correct areas.
Standing Side Bend Pose Target Areas
- shoulders
- core
- spine
- side body
Standing Side Bend Pose Benefits
- Improves shoulder mobility and health
- Corrects posture
- Increases upper-body strength and endurance
How to Do Standing Side Bend
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- Stand in Mountain pose with your big toes nearly touching and your heels about 1in (2.5cm) apart. Interlace your fingers overhead. Lock your arms, and point your index fingers to the ceiling.
- Rotate your arms inward so your biceps face your ears. Press down into the heels and the balls of your feet. Make your body as tall as possible, then lean to the right with your upper body, hips lightly pressing in the opposite direction. Hold the posture, inhaling as you get taller, and exhaling as you bend deeper. Repeat on the left side.
Cues for Standing Side Bend
- Engage core
- Turn biceps to face slightly back
- Engage thighs
- Press evenly through feet
- Lock knees
- Keep torso facing forward, not turning to the side
WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL
- Stretch from hip to shoulder
- Muscle engagement in thighs, core, obliques, and shoulders
WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL
- Uneven shoulders; ensure shoulders are even, facing straight forward
PRO TIP: For better core stability, squeeze your thighs toward one another, and engage the muscles in the side of the body that you are stretching.
About Dean Pohlman, Founder & CEO of Man Flow Yoga, Author of Yoga Fitness for Men, Expert on Yoga Fitness for Men.
Dean Pohlman is making yoga more accessible to fitness-minded men. A former collegiate lacrosse player, Dean discovered yoga while recovering from injuries and quickly realized its potential to boost strength, mobility, and overall performance.
Since launching Man Flow Yoga in 2013, Dean Pohlman has built a global community that speaks for itself:
- 195,000+ customers
- 42+ million YouTube views
- 200,000+ followers across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok
Dean’s book Yoga Fitness for Men has sold over 50,000 copies, while his Body by Yoga DVD series has surpassed 120,000 units sold, earning him consistent #1 rankings on Amazon and thousands of five-star reviews. He’s also been featured in Men’s Health, Muscle & Fitness, GQ Magazine, Fox Tampa Bay, The Chicago Sun, and on influential podcasts like The Ready State and Ben Greenfield Fitness.
With a focus on real results, community, and technique-focused instruction, Dean Pohlman continues to change the conversation around yoga. He’s not just teaching poses—he’s helping people build stronger, more capable bodies for life.
