Reverse Warrior

How to do it

Stand wide, feet about a leg's length apart. Turn the right foot to point straight forward; turn the left foot parallel to the back edge of the mat. Bend the right knee until it stacks over the right ankle; the left leg stays straight. Flip the right palm to face the ceiling and reach the right arm up and back over the head. The left hand rests lightly on the left thigh or shin — do not lean weight into it. Right knee stays bent and tracking over the right ankle; the side bend is in the side waist, not the lower back. Hold and breathe, then switch sides.

Why it's good for runners

The side waist — quadratus lumborum, obliques, lats — is a body region runners barely touch with any other movement. Reverse Warrior puts the whole side body on stretch in one shape while the bent front leg keeps loading the hip and quad. It's an efficient pose: side body and standing leg in one breath.

Common mistakes

Don't lean back into the back hand for support — the back arm is a rest, not a prop. And don't let the front knee drift inward or straighten as you reach back; the legs hold their wide-stance lunge shape while the upper body bends.