STARTING POSITION

Lie on the side with legs together, bent at 90° and the knees aligned with the pelvis.  Support yourself on your forearm with the elbow directly beneath the shoulder, bent at 90°.

Inhale to brace your core and lift your chest, aligning it with the rest of your body. Maintain a neutral spine, keeping your shoulder depressed and stable.

MOVEMENT

Exhale — Lift the pelvis off the floor by pressing through the bottom arm and leg, maintaining core engagement. Align the body from head to knees in a straight line, forming a side plank position. Keep the knees together and in contact with the floor. Ensure the shoulders and hips remain square and vertically aligned.Distribute the body weight evenly between the forearm and the bottom leg for stability.

Inhale — Hold the side plank position for a few counts. Maintain a neutral spine, level pelvis, stabilized bottom shoulder, and head aligned with the sternum.

Exhale — With control, lower the pelvis back to the starting position. Throughout the movement, keep the core engaged, the shoulder stable, and maintain proper alignment of the spine and hips.

• Core muscles, with emphasis on the internal and external obliques.
• Hip & pelvic stabilizers, including the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and adductors.
• Shoulder & upper body stabilizers, focusing on the serratus anterior, rotator cuff muscles, and deltoids (for isometric support).
• Spinal stabilizers, such as the quadratus lumborum, multifidus, and erector spinae.

• Develop core strength and stability with emphasis on lateral stability
• Enhance pelvis and shoulder girdle placement and strength
• Improve pelvic and spinal alignment, strengthening and stabilize back muscles
• Train scapular stability and shoulder control in closed-chain
• Build neuromuscular control and  develop postural endurance in the coronal plane

• Maintain a long, neutral spine: avoid arching or rounding. Focus on keeping a straight line from head to knees. Avoid misaligning the head.
• “Brace the core firmly, as if preparing for a punch”.
• Focus on proper muscles coordination when lifting into the side plank.
• Maintain shoulder stability: keep the shoulder away from the ear and directly above the elbow. Avoid compensations such as rounding the shoulders.
• Watch for hip sagging or rotation—use cues like “stack the hips” or “keep the hips in line.”
• The ribs stay in place through core engagement, preventing them from flaring out.
• Avoid tilting the head—keep it aligned with the breastbone.
• Ensure smooth, coordinated breathing throughout the movement.