33 – Lateral Stretch of the Upper Body (Jōtai sokushin nobashi undō)¶
Name¶
Jōtai sokushin nobashi undō (上体側伸ばし運動)
Lateral stretch of the upper body
Instructions (Romaji)¶
Hai, ue ni nobite.
Stretch upward.
Te kumande.
Interlace the hands.
Atama no ue.
Above the head.
Sayū nobashite.
Right and left.
Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyū, jū.
Counting¶
Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi, kyū, jū
Description¶
The starting position is musubi dachi or a natural standing position.
The arms are raised above the head and the hands are interlaced. The arms remain extended.
First, the body stretches straight upward.
Then alternating lateral bending is performed:
- lean to one side
- return to the center
- lean to the opposite side
The movement is initiated from the trunk while the hips remain stable.
Purpose¶
- increase lateral mobility of the spine
- stretch the side muscles of the trunk
- improve flexibility in the core and waist
- open the chest
- prepare for rotation and lateral movement
Key Technical Points¶
- stretch upward before bending sideways
- keep the hips stable
- movement comes from the trunk
- avoid rotation
- control the return to center
Safety¶
- avoid collapsing to the side
- control the return movement
- work within your range of motion
Comment¶
This exercise introduces lateral bending in a standing position and complements the forward bending from the previous movement.