PVC Lateral Bend
The PVC Lateral Bend is a standing mobility exercise that targets the obliques and lateral core muscles to improve spinal flexibility. By using a PVC pipe for stability, this movement helps open up the rib cage and mobilize the torso in the frontal plane.
Since lateral mobility is often overlooked until stiffness sets in, the AI monitors your recovery metrics like HRV and recent spinal loading to prescribe this movement specifically when your lower back or hips show signs of fatigue. If you've previously logged lower back tightness, the system will prioritize this exercise in your warm-ups to ensure your spine is prepared for heavier lifts. Additionally, by tracking your perceived effort, the app ensures you treat this as a controlled mobility drill rather than a high-intensity strength exercise, preventing overstretching.
Form Cues
- Keep your feet planted firmly at shoulder-width
- Engage your glutes to stabilize your pelvis
- Bend directly to the side as if sliding between two panes of glass
- Exhale deeply as you lengthen the side of your torso
- Keep the PVC pipe level across your upper back
- Don't rotate your chest toward the floor
- Don't lean forward or backward at the waist
- Don't let your hips shift aggressively to the opposite side
- Don't force the range of motion past mild discomfort
- Don't hold your breath during the stretch
Common Mistakes
- Twisting the torso instead of bending sideways
- Leaning forward into a hip hinge
- Pulling down on the neck with the PVC pipe
- Rushing the tempo and using momentum
- Disengaging the core and glutes
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the internal and external obliques and the quadratus lumborum, essential muscles for lateral spinal stability. It also provides a deep stretch to the intercostals between your ribs and the latissimus dorsi, helping to improve overhead mobility and breathing mechanics.
Primary
Secondary
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