Side Bend (aka Crescent Stretch)

The muscles at the side of the lower back, specifically the Quadratus Lumborum, and the oblique abdominal muscles of the waist can get really tense with a lot of sitting. So, an easy movement and stretch for those areas is to do a side bend, also known as the crescent stretch. In order to make the stretch more effective, use a wall or the side of the vehicle and put your back up against it.

• Start with your butt/pelvis back at the wall

• Then drop your ribs so that the mid to lower ribs on the back shift to the wall as well. Don’t worry about the shoulders and head staying at the wall.

• Tilt your body to the side to elongate one side of the waist.

• You can also let your head hang for a side of the neck stretch.

Keeping the pelvis and lower ribs at the wall helps us avoid some common tendencies, such as thrusting the ribs forward and twisting, which are usually ways our body compensates trying to avoid stretching those tense areas.