Core · Bodyweight
Standing Lateral Stretch
How to do the standing lateral 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
- Timed hold
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Mobility
How to do it
Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width and soften your knees. Place one hand on your hip, reach the other arm overhead, and gently bend sideways until you feel a stretch along the side of your torso. Return to center and repeat on the other side.
- 1Feel the stretch from your hip up through your obliques and lats as you reach and bend to the side
- 2Keep both feet grounded and your rib cage long so the movement stays smooth
- 3Breathe into the open side of your body rather than collapsing into the stretch
Common mistakes
- Do not twist your torso or lean forward; this is a side bend, not a rotation
- Avoid dumping all your weight into one hip or locking your knees
- Do not force the reach so far that you pinch your low back or shoulder
Muscles worked
The standing lateral stretch works the obliques.
- ObliquesSupport
- LatsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the standing lateral 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 April 2026.