Core · Bodyweight
Spine (Lumbar) - Lateral Flexion
How to do the spine (lumbar) - lateral flexion, 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
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and one hand reaching overhead. Bend smoothly to the opposite side, lengthening through the ribs and waist, then return to upright and switch sides.
- 1Feel a long stretch down the side of your waist and obliques
- 2Keep both hips level and grounded as you bend
- 3Reach long through the top arm to open the ribs
Common mistakes
- Do not lean forward or backward; bend straight to the side
- Avoid letting the opposite hip pop out to the side
- Do not bounce into the stretch; move smoothly
Muscles worked
The spine (lumbar) - lateral flexion mainly works the obliques, with the lower back assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- LatsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
Kovo programs the spine (lumbar) - lateral flexion 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.