A side bend in Pilates is a powerful way to restore spinal movement, improve posture, and help your body feel more capable in everyday life. If your spine feels stiff, compressed, or “stuck,” learning how to side bend correctly can be a game-changer!
Side bending is often one of those movements people enjoy but don’t fully understand. It feels good, so we assume it must be helpful. In Pilates, though, a side bend isn’t just about sensation. It’s about teaching your spine how to move well again — with strength, support, and intention.
And that matters, because a flexible spine isn’t about being bendy. It’s about being able to move through life with ease.
As Joseph Pilates famously said:
“If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old; if it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.”
Side bending helps keep that youthful movement alive.
The Movement Skills Series
This post is part of the Movement Skills Series — a collection of seven essential movement skills designed to help you move better, feel stronger, and understand your body more deeply. Each post focuses on one foundational skill that supports how you move in Pilates and in everyday life.
These skills are intentionally taught in a specific order. You can practice them one at a time, following the sequence, or combine them to create a short, effective at-home Pilates session. Whether you’re new to Pilates or refining your practice, the Movement Skills Series gives you simple, purposeful tools to help you move more — on your own and in the studio.
What a Side Bend Really Is (and What It Isn’t)
The anatomical term is lateral flexion. That simply means the spine bends to one side while staying long and supported.
Here’s the important part:
A Pilates side bend is not a collapse.
It’s not a shortcut to a stretch.
And it’s definitely not about forcing range of motion.
Instead, a well-executed side bend:
- Lengthens the spine before it bends
- Keeps the ribs and pelvis organized
- Uses muscles to support the movement
That’s why this exercise in Pilates looks calm and controlled. Under the surface, there’s a lot happening.
Why Pilates Saves Side Bending for Later
Pilates is a method for a reason. Movements are taught in a specific order to protect your spine and build confidence.
Before side bending shows up, Pilates develops:
- Flexion (rounding)
- Extension (lengthening and opening)
- Then side bending
Why? Because side bending asks a lot of your body. Without strength and control, it can feel unstable or sloppy — even if it feels “stretchy.”
By building the basics first, Pilates ensures that when you side bend, your spine is ready to handle it. We don’t rush the process. We help your body earn the movement.
Why Side Bending Feels So Good (and Why That’s Not the Point)
Let’s be honest — side bending usually feels great. That long, opening sensation along the side of the body can be deeply satisfying.
But here’s the thing: Feeling good is a bonus, not the goal.
As 21st century humans we sit too much, our everyday movement is so small in range of motion, and we lose side-to-side mobility.
Over time, posture slumps, ribs stiffen, and the spine forgets how to move laterally. A strong Pilates side bend helps reverse that pattern.
When done well, clients often notice:
- Standing taller without trying
- Moving with less effort
- Feeling more balanced side to side
That’s the payoff!
A Flexible Spine in Real Life
A flexible spine isn’t about showing off. It’s about function.
Side bending supports the movements you do every day, like:
- Reaching into the back seat of the car
- Carrying groceries or a child on one hip
- Playing golf, tennis, pickleball, or swimming
- Twisting and reaching without strain
It also plays a quiet but important role in easing low back discomfort. When your spine has more movement options, it doesn’t overload one area.
The Non-Negotiables of a Good Side Bend
Before we talk exercises, let’s get clear on the rules that make side bending safe and effective.
1. Keep Your Box Square
Your “box” refers to the relationship between your rib cage and pelvis. As you move, these two structures should stay stacked and organized, rather than twisting or shifting forward and back.
2. Length Comes First
Before any lateral movement happens, the spine needs to grow tall. Think of lifting up and away from gravity, creating space between each vertebra. Height creates freedom.
3. Muscles Do the Work
This movement is supported by active engagement, not momentum. The muscles along the sides of the body should guide you into and out of the shape, keeping the spine feeling lifted and secure.
4. Breath Helps Everything
Breath plays a key role in how smoothly the spine moves. A full, intentional breath helps maintain focus, supports mobility, and encourages fluid movement.
A common cue you’ll hear at Today Pilates:
“Spine up, blades down, powerhouse lifting.”
Once that’s in place, you’re ready to move.
Chair Side Bend: A Smart Starting Point
If tight hamstrings make sitting upright challenging, this version is your friend.
How to Set Up:
- Sit tall in a chair
- Feet parallel and grounded
- Spine straight and lifted
- Stack the backs of your hands on your forehead
- Elbows wide, shoulders relaxed down
The Movement:
- Inhale to prepare
- Lean into a side bend to the right, reaching with the right elbow
- Think long and sideways, not down
- Exhale and use your opposite side muscles to return to center
Repeat both sides for 3–5 controlled sets.
Simple, effective, and surprisingly powerful.
Chair Side Bend Tutorial
Watching this tutorial will help you see how to set up your posture, maintain length through the spine, and move with control instead of momentum. Use this exercise to build awareness and strength while keeping the movement supported and accessible.
Saw Prep: Where Strength Shows Up
This version of Saw looks familiar — but feels different. We’re sneaking in a little twist to this side bend exercise.
Setup:
- Sit on a mat with legs straight and shoulder-width apart
- Spine tall and upright
- If this position is tough, return to the chair version first
How to Move:
- Stack the backs of your hands on your forehead
- Inhale to prepare
- Exhale to twist right
- Inhale as the left elbow dips toward the left thigh
- Exhale back up, staying twisted
- Inhale to return to center
Key Tips:
- Keep the elbow above the knee
- Sit evenly on both sitz bones
- Move slowly and precisely
Do 3–5 sets, focusing on control over depth.
Saw Prep Tutorial
This tutorial walks you through the setup, pacing, and key alignment cues so you can move slowly and precisely. Pay close attention to how the spine stays lifted and organized as you rotate and reach — this is where the strength work really shows up.
Where Side Bending Shows Up in Pilates Lessons
In the Pilates method you’ll find side bend in these exercises:
- Saw
- Spine Twist
- Mermaid
- Side Bend
- Side kicks
- Ladder Barrel and Cadillac stretches
Each one reinforces the same idea: strength first, then movement.
Side Bending and the Bigger Picture of Movement
Side bending may look simple, but it plays a meaningful role in how your spine moves, supports you, and adapts to daily life. When practiced with intention, it helps your body reclaim strength and mobility at the same time — so movement feels easier, more supported, and more confident.
This is how Pilates builds a flexible spine that works for you, not against you. With the right guidance, Pilates exercises become less about “how far” you go and more about how well you move — and that’s where lasting change begins.
FAQs About Side Bends in Pilates
Explore the Full Movement Skills Series
Once all seven lessons are published, each link below will take you directly to the next skill in the series:
- Movement Skill #1: Upper Spine Flexion (USF)
- Movement Skill #2: Hip Flexion and Extension
- Movement Skill #3: Move Your Arms from Your Back
- Movement Skill #4: Spinal Flexion
- Movement Skill #5: Side Bend (current post)
- Movement Skill #6: Twist
- Movement Skill #7: Spinal Extension
- Movement Skills: All Together As A Workout