The thing is: everybody likes to say, “Strengthen your core to protect your lower back.”
But what does that actually mean? Because most people hear that and just go to town on crunches to build a six-pack.
But the truth is: a six-pack isn’t gonna protect your lower back or protect you from back injuries.
The core muscles that will really contribute to giving you a bulletproof spine are:
- The lower abs
- The Quadratus Lumborum (QL) muscles in your lower back
- the multifidus muscles that connect vertebrae to vertebrae in your spine
- AND your obliques
So, while obliques don’t necessarily get all the showy attention that upper abs typically get, they deserve a lot more credit. Because your obliques are more than likely working to keep your back healthy and safe.
So, when you stretch and strengthen your obliques, you not only build a stronger core, but you’re also investing in lower back strength and health!
We’re Back Muscle Solutions. Our mission is to provide you with THE BEST lower back health resources in the world. And to do that, we can't ignore the core.
That’s why, today, we’ll explore our 9 best oblique stretches and how you can add them in to your stretching routine.
9 Best Oblique Stretches
Since your obliques are located on either side of your core, you’ll notice that most of these stretches involve bending to the side.
Each stretch is a little different, though, so definitely give each one a try and see which of these oblique stretches is your favorite.
A good rule of thumb for oblique stretches is–when you tilt your body to one side–you’re stretching the opposite oblique.
So, if I want to stretch my left oblique, I’ll bend my torso to the right side.
I ALWAYS recommend stretching both sides of your obliques–even if you just feel tightness in one side.
Oblique Stretches #1: Knees to One Side
1) Lie down on a yoga mat with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent.
2) Lay your right arm down and out–horizontally from your body.
3) Now, keeping both knees together, bring your knees over to the opposite (left side).
4) Use your left hand to hold your knees in position.
5) Hold for 30 seconds.
6) Then repeat on the other side.
Oblique Stretches #2: Doorway Oblique Stretch
1) Stand in a doorway.
2) Cross your right leg behind your left leg.
3) Then, stretch your right arm up and over your body, so it's touching the left side of the door frame.
4) Hold for 30 seconds.
5) Then, repeat on the other side.
Oblique Stretches #3: Triangle Stretch
1) Stand on a yoga mat with your feet 3-4 feet apart.
2) Turn your right foot out to the side, allowing your torso to also turn to the right side.
3) Slightly bend your right knee.
4) Hold your arms out, so they’re horizontal to the floor.
5) Now, hinge your hips as you bring your right arm down, touching your right palm to the floor–by your right foot.
6) Hold for 30 seconds.
7) Then, repeat on the other side.
Oblique Stretches #4: Up and Down Bend
This is one of the more complicated oblique stretches, but it provides an opportunity for you to experience both internal and external oblique stretches.
1) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2) Place both hands behind your head–with your elbows out to the side.
3) Now, flex to your right side, bending your torso over.
4) Now, rotate up towards the sky–bringing your right elbow up to the top.
5) Hold for a few seconds.
6) And finally, rotate in the opposite direction–towards the ground–with your left elbow pointing down.
7) Now, repeat on the other side.
Oblique Stretches #5: Seated Lateral Stretch
Both the seated lateral stretch AND the standing lateral stretch provide good internal and external oblique stretches. They both work very similarly, so you can see which one you prefer.
1) Sit down on a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2) Lift up your left arm to the sky.
3) Then, tilt your torso to the right side–really feeling that stretch in your side.
4) Hold for 15-30 seconds.
5) Then, come back to the starting position.
6) After this, repeat on the other side.
Oblique Stretches #6: Standing Lateral Stretch
1) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2) Cross your right foot behind your left foot.
3) Then, lift your right arm up over your head and to the left side.
4) Allow your torso to bend with your arm.
5) Hold for 15-30 seconds.
6) Then, return to the starting position.
7) And repeat on the other side.
Oblique Stretches #7: Russian Twist Stretch
1) Sit down on a yoga mat with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent.
2) Lean your torso back slightly.
3) Place your hands behind your head or to your side.
4) Twist your torso to your right side. Hold for 15-20 seconds.
5) Return to the starting position.
6) Then, repeat on the other side.
This is one of my favorite internal and external oblique stretches. You can level this up into an oblique exercise by lifting your feet off the ground and moving a kettlebell from one side to the other.
Oblique Stretches #8: Mermaid Stretch
1) Sitting on a yoga mat, fold both of your legs to the left with bent knees.
2) Raise your left arm up in the air, and lean to the right side.
3) Hold for 15-30 seconds.
4) Return to the starting position.
5) Repeat on the other side.
Oblique Stretches #9: Side Plank With Hip Dip
1) For this one, start in a plank position on one side.
2) Slowly lower your hips to the floor and hold for a few seconds.
3) Raise your hips back up to the plank position.
4) Repeat for 8-10 reps.
5) Then, repeat on the other side.
Myofascial Release for Tight Obliques
At Back Muscle Solutions, we always believe that if you fix the muscles, you fix the pain.
So, if you have any oblique pain, I actually recommend starting with oblique massages BEFORE oblique stretches in order to provide myofascial release to tight obliques.
Here’s the progression:
1) Oblique Massages
2) Oblique Stretches
3) Oblique Strengthening Exercises
So, let’s start with massage.
Oblique Massages
For this, you’ll need a ball to help with the massage–such as a lacrosse ball or a softball-sized ball (which is even better!).
Here’s how you do it:
1) Lie down on the side that you want to release–keeping your torso up and supported by your hand on the floor.
2) Place the massage ball on your obliques.
3) Slowly roll your body forward and back–opening and closing your hips as you rotate.
Massaging your obliques on each side will get them totally ready for all the great oblique stretches you learned about in this article!
Oblique Stretches
Once you’ve massaged your obliques through myofascial release, THEN I recommend moving toward the oblique stretches in this article.
Oblique Strengthening Exercises
After you’ve done oblique massages and oblique stretches, you’re ready to strengthen those obliques to truly keep your core and spine bulletproof.
When it comes to oblique exercises, I recommend checking out these other articles:
“6 Relentless Variations of Oblique Twists”
“Oblique Exercises For An Athletic Core And Bulletproof Lower Back”
But Don't Forget the QL
If you're massaging your obliques, you really can't ignore your QL. And yes, loads of people ignore this important muscle!
The QL muscle works very similarly to your oblique muscle–except it's located in your lower back.
In fact, the QL serves as a partner in crime to the oblique whenever your torso bends or rotates. Both the QL and the oblique will contract together to assist you with the movement.
If you have non-distinct lower back pain that is:
- Dull
- Nagging
- AND consistent
…then you might be dealing with a QL muscle issue.
And if you're trying these oblique stretches, but low back pain is stopping you in your tracks, your QL probably needs some attention.
Just like with your obliques, I recommend starting with massage.
So, how do you massage your QL? Learn how in the video below:
Quadratus Lumborum Release | Massage a Tight QL Muscle
In this video, our founder, Ben is using the QL Claw to massage his QL muscles. Since the QL is such a deep lower back muscle, it’s pretty much impossible to massage on your own.
That’s why we created the Claw in the first place!
We designed the QL Claw, so people can actually live their lives and do the hobbies and activities they want to do...without back pain.
So, if back pain is stopping you from enjoying time with your family, walking with your dog, or playing soccer with your buds, we invite you check out the Claw, so you can get your life back like the people who posted these reviews:
Learn more about the QL Claw below.
What are Oblique Muscles?
Now let's shift back to your obliques and learn...what are they, anyway? Your obliques are located on either side of your six-pack muscles and over your ribcage.
There are both:
- Internal Obliques
- AND External Obliques
Many of the exercises in this article provide both internal and external oblique stretches.
Oblique Function
Whether you know it or not–obliques are highly involved in your everyday movement. In fact, they help with:
- Twisting Your Torso: You’ll notice that tons of the oblique stretches in this article involve twisting. That’s because–every time we twist our torso during oblique stretches–we give those obliques a nice stretch.
- Bending to the Side: Lots of the oblique stretches in this article also involve just bending the torso to one side. Again, the obliques are the muscles that help us perform this motion, so it only makes sense to add this motion in to your oblique stretches.
- Supporting your spine: Obliques work with your lower ab muscles as well as the QL muscles in your lower back to provide spinal support and stability–protecting from lower back injury and pain.
- Breathing: And yep–obliques are so important that they literally help us breathe.
When to Add Oblique Stretches to Your Routine
In your morning stretching routine: Do you like to stretch on a yoga mat in the sunshine before you grab a cup of coffee?
Adding in oblique stretches to your morning routine is a no-brainer. It’ll help keep your core nice and stretched and ready for the day.
Pre-ab workout: If you're about to do core day at the gym, it only makes sense to use some of the oblique stretches in this article before you work out.
In this order, we want to 1) massage, 2) stretch, and then 3) strengthen. So, before you light up that core–do some oblique stretches.
Benefits of Oblique Stretches
With your obliques being so important and all, it only makes sense that there are loads of benefits to adding in oblique stretches to your routine.
Oblique Stretches Benefit #1: Flexibility
Think about all the times during the day when you bend or twist your torso. It’s probably a good amount of times–even if it’s just to bend down to scratch your leg.
Oblique stretches help keep you flexible for all of those daily movements.
Oblique Stretches Benefit #2: Strength & Athleticism
Core strength is pivotal to overall body strength as well as athletic performance.
And as we know, lots of people like to give that six-pack all of the attention, but when you have flexible and strong obliques through oblique stretches and strengthening exercises–your core strength will be THAT MUCH better.
And your athletic performance and flexibility will increase.
Oblique Stretches Benefit #3: Protect Your Lower Back
Adding in oblique stretches routinely will do your lower back a favor.
When your core is weak, your lower back likes to take over…and let’s just say…overfunction for those weak abs. When this happens, it often results in lower back pain.
So, a stronger core often results in LESS lower back pain overall.
I like to think of obliques as a sort of back brace for your core. Stronger obliques will tighten up when you physically exert yourself–saving your lower back from taking the brunt of that exertion.
Check out the suitcase carry for an exercise that will utilize your obliques in exactly this way!
Our Best Oblique Resources
Interested in some more resources on obliques–besides just oblique stretches?
Check out some of our other great oblique resources.
Article
“Sidelined by Side Strain? Learn About Oblique Muscle Pain”
Videos
“3 Oblique Strengthening Exercises For Bulletproofing The Lower Back”
“Core Exercise Tips For Lower Back Pain”
“2 Abdominal Strengthening Exercises For Lower Back Health”
Oblique Stretches FAQs
How do I stretch my obliques?
To stretch your obliques, you’ll need to bend your torso to one side in some capacity. Check out the oblique stretches in this article for great oblique stretches you can do from home today!
How do you fix tight obliques?
To fix tight obliques, you can use a massage ball for myofascial release. Then, introduce oblique stretches after you massage to stretch the muscle and continue building it towards strength.
What causes oblique tightness?
Oblique pain can be caused by overuse, poor posture, and oblique injury–also called side strain.
[1] https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2013.0501
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8075560/