Kosher Fitness
By Michael Ungar
When I was a kid doing exercises in gym class, one of the calisthenics that we always did was side bends—not as dramatic as the yoga pose above, but side bends nonetheless. I liked them because they were not too strenuous, but I was not sure that they served any purpose.
As I studied to become a personal trainer, I learned about the different muscles in the human body. There are those with which most of us are familiar–biceps, hamstrings, calves–but others we may never have heard of before. For me, one of those was the Quadratus Lumborum (called the Q-L for short). It is one of several muscles in the torso and abdomen that serve as stabilizers; their role is to keep maintain, posture, balance and movement. There are actually two of the Q-L muscles–one on each side of the spine.
The Q-L helps to stabilize the spine, but it also assists with breathing, pelvic alignment and extension of the lumbar (lower) spine. In terms of movement, it is responsible for bending to the side as well as hip “hiking” or elevating the hip to assist in walking, running and climbing stairs. The Q-L does a lot of work, so it is important that we care for it properly; included in this is regular stretching–including my old friend the side bend.
There are many ways to do these bends:
- Simple Side Bends from side to side, reaching to the floor (weights can be added too).
- Single-Arm Side Bends, also known as “I’m a little teapot.” One arm is bent with the hand at the waist while the other reaches down (a single weight can be added here too).
- Wide Side Bend/Crunch is more advanced and challenging. With a dumbbell in each hand, form a goal-post position with both arms and lean from side to side; focus on keeping a straight line from elbow to elbow through the shoulders. The torso should do all the work.
- Seated Q-L Stretches are especially effective for those who have difficulty with balance. Bend the elbows and place the hands either atop the head, at the shoulders, or at the waist; bend the torso from side to side. There are also a number of yoga poses that do the same job: Side Angle Pose, Triangle Pose, Gate Pose and Half-Moon Pose.
The best part about all of these exercise–except for some of the Yoga poses–is that they are relatively easy to do. It is unlikely that a person will break a sweat or start huffing and puffing while stretching the Q-L. Nevertheless, to help maintain stability, balance and movement, the Q-L Stretch needs to be a part of every older adults’ stretching regimen.
This blog with image was originally published on kosher-fitness.com on July 15, 2025 by Rabbi Ungar.
