The Side-to-Side Flow

To do the Side to Side Flow, set up with your feet parallel and wider than shoulder-width apart. You can adjust as needed so that you can perform side lunges and the low runner’s lunge depending on your flexibility and mobility. Hang over with both legs straight. You can even grab your feet and pull your head back through your legs toward your heels. Relax deeper into the stretch and keep your legs straight.

Then bend one knee and shift into a side lunge as you walk your hands over toward the side with the bent knee. Keep your feet parallel as you push your butt back and sink into the side lunge. Do not let the other leg bend. Keep it straight to stretch.

If you want to change exactly what muscles are stretched, you can pivot the toe of the straight leg up toward the ceiling and hold for a second before lowering it back down.

Then come back center, walking your hands center as you straighten both legs. Then sink into a side lunge on the other side. Hold for a second and stretch further then come back center with your legs straight.

Shift back to the first side again, but as you do, this time pivot your feet. Pivot your feet as you bend the front knee and keep the back leg straight. Keep your front heel down, but let yourself come up onto the ball of your back foot. Still drive back through your heel, but do not worry about keeping it down on the ground. Try to get both toes pointing straight ahead toward the direction you pivoted. Hold for a second or two with your hands on the ground just inside your front leg.

Then drop your back knee down and flex your back foot hard into the ground. As you flex your back foot and even squeeze the glute of the back leg, lift your hands up off the ground and reach them overhead. Arch back and feel a nice stretch down the back hip and quad. Breathe as you reach overhead.

Make sure to engage your glute so that you stretch your hip and don’t simply hyperextend your low back. You do not want to feel your low back engaging. Hold for a second or two.

Then lower your hands back down and lift your back knee. Pivot back center with both your legs straight before switching to a low runner’s lunge on the other side. After pivoting into the low runner’s lunge, again drop your knee and repeat the half-kneeling hip and quad stretch.

Lift the knee and again pivot back center with both legs straight. Hang over for a breath and then reach your opposite arm toward your opposite foot. Keep your legs straight as you grab the opposite foot or shin with your hand. Reach the other hand up toward the ceiling as you try to rotate your chest open. Hold and try to rotate open more as you keep your legs straight.

Then walk your hands back center and walk the opposite hand over to the other foot. Reach the other hand up toward the ceiling and rotate open again. Come back center then, keeping your legs straight and arms out to the side, lift back up to standing. From here you can repeat the sequence as needed.