Pilates
Pilates Side Bend Twist
The Pilates Side Bend Twist combines a lifted side support with a controlled reach beneath your torso. It trains your abdominal muscles to control rotation while you support your body on one arm.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 45 sec
How to do it
- Sit on your right hip with your knees bent and your left foot slightly ahead of your right foot.
- Place your right palm beneath your right shoulder.
- Lift your hips into a side plank with straight legs.
- Reach your left arm toward the ceiling.
- Sweep your left arm beneath your ribs as your chest turns toward the mat.
- Reopen your chest to the side with your left arm pointing upward.
- Lower your right hip to the mat with your knees bending.
Form cues
- Push the mat away.
- Keep your neck long.
- Exhale through the twist.
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging during the reachKeep your waist lifted so your torso does not collapse toward the mat.
- Forcing a deep twistShorten the reach to a range you can control without rolling your pelvis toward the floor.
- Swinging the top armMove slowly enough that your trunk controls the rotation rather than following your arm's momentum.
Safety
Losing support during the twist can strain your supporting wrist or shoulder or cause a fall onto your side. Fatigue makes this more likely.
- Use a nonslip mat with clear space around you.
- Practice a steady side support before adding the twist.
- End the set if your supporting arm starts to buckle or your balance becomes unreliable.
If you have wrist, shoulder, or back pain, use a knee-supported version only if comfortable, or ask a physiotherapist for guidance.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Exercise Mat
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 4–8 reps per side
- Rest
- 45 sec
One lift, twist, reopening, and controlled lowering counts as one rep.