Core · Bodyweight
Lying Side Stretch
How to do the lying side stretch, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your side with your legs stacked and bottom arm extended overhead along the floor. Reach the top arm up and over, lengthening through your side body, then gently press your hips down to open up the ribs and obliques. Hold, then roll over and switch sides.
- 1Feel a long stretch down the top side of your torso from hip to armpit
- 2Let your ribs expand as you breathe into the stretched side
- 3Keep the movement slow and reach a little further on each exhale
Common mistakes
- Do not roll forward or backward; stay stacked on your side
- Avoid bouncing or forcing the reach past a comfortable stretch
- Do not hold your breath; keep breathing into the side body
Muscles worked
The lying side stretch mainly works the obliques, with the lats and lower back assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- LatsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
Kovo programs the lying side stretch for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.