Side Plank Pose with Left Leg Up

How to do Side Plank Pose with Left Leg Up

1. 1Begin in Plank Pose with your wrists stacked directly beneath your shoulders and your core firmly engaged.
2. 2Shift your weight onto your right hand and roll onto the outer edge of your right foot, stacking your left foot on top.
3. 3Press firmly through your right palm to lift out of the shoulder joint and extend your left arm toward the ceiling.
4. 4Engage your lower obliques to elevate your hips away from the mat, creating a strong diagonal line from crown to heels.
5. 5Ground steadily into the edge of your right foot, firm your outer left hip, and smoothly lift your left leg toward the sky.
6. 6Keep your left foot flexed and active, maintaining parallel hip alignment rather than rolling your pelvis backward.
7. 7Fix your gaze upward at your left thumb or forward at eye level to stabilize your balance.
8. 8Hold for 3 to 5 smooth breaths, then softly lower your left foot and roll back through Plank Pose to release.

Benefits

• Strengthens the obliques, quadratus lumborum, and deep transverse abdominal wall.
• Tones and activates the hip abductors, particularly the gluteus medius and minimus.
• Builds endurance and stability throughout the supporting shoulder girdle and wrist.
• Enhances full-body proprioception, spatial awareness, and lateral balance control.
• Lengthens the spine while strengthening the lateral chain to resist gravitational collapse.

Common mistakes and cues

• Sagging Hips

  Keep your bottom waist and obliques firmly lifting toward the ceiling to prevent pinching your lower spine.

• Rolling the Top Hip Back

  Stack your left hip directly over your right hip to ensure the movement comes from true hip abduction rather than pelvic rotation.

• Collapsing into the Bottom Shoulder

  Press the floor away aggressively through your right palm and engage your serratus anterior to keep the neck long.

• Holding the Breath

  Avoid locking your diaphragm when lifting the top leg, allowing smooth inhalations and exhalations to support your effort.

Modifications and props

• Bottom Knee Grounded

  Lower your right knee directly beneath your right hip on the mat to provide a stable tripod base before lifting the left leg.

• Forearm Support

  Perform the pose on your right forearm instead of your hand to alleviate excessive compression in the right wrist.

• Yoga Strap Assist

  Loop a strap around your left foot and hold it in your left hand to help guide and support the lifted leg.

• Wall Support

  Set up with your back lightly touching a wall to provide tactile feedback and maintain vertical pelvic alignment.

Cautions

• Acute Wrist Pain

  Avoid full weight-bearing on the hand if experiencing sharp wrist pain or active carpal tunnel symptoms.

• Rotator Cuff Injury

  Refrain from single-arm balances if you have unresolved tears or active inflammation in the shoulder joint.

• Late-Stage Pregnancy

  Practice modified versions with the bottom knee down to protect pelvic stability and avoid fall risks.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

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