Crescent Side Bend

How to do it

Stand tall, feet hip-width apart. Reach the arms straight up overhead and clasp the hands together, then extend the index fingers toward the ceiling. Inhale, then exhale and lean the torso to the right, drawing the left side waist long. Hips stay stacked over the feet — don't push them out to the side. Inhale back through center, exhale and lean to the left. The arc is wide and slow; the bend is in the side waist, not in the lower back.

Why it's good for runners

Running compresses the side body — quadratus lumborum and obliques get short and stiff from the constant stabilizing they do against a forward gait. Crescent is the simplest way to put those tissues on a long stretch, and you can do it almost anywhere. It pairs naturally with anything else in this catalog that lengthens the front or back chains.

Common mistakes

Don't let the hips swing out to the opposite side — they stay grounded over the feet. The lean comes from the ribcage, not from the pelvis. And don't collapse forward; the chest stays facing the front, not the floor.