Get My Greatest Posture Info & Tips Here: http://madmimi.com/signups/225816/join Thumbnail Image From © ruigsantos / Fotolia ************************************************** It is true that doing dumbbell side bends as an exercise will workout your oblique muscles and your quadratus lumborum in your core. However, it may not be the best choice of exercises to do in the long term. This is because when you do them, you are holding the weight and have a long lever arm. This can place excessive pressure on your spine in the long term and potentially lead to spine damage where Foramina close down more. This can cause nerve impingement, which can lead to feelings of pain, tingling, numbness, and burning sensations traveling down your leg. A better exercise to do is side planks. This is an isometric exercise for your Obliques that won’t place nearly as much pressure on your spine. This exercise is also easy to progress. You can use an unstable surface to workout your core more. Additionally, you can raise your top arm up more. You can also raise your top leg to additionally challenge yourself. Finally, you could even hold a dumbbell with your top most arm raised up above to REALLY challenge yourself. The key is to maintain proper form. By doing this, you won’t need to do dumbbell side bends as an exercise and you will be keeping your body safe in the long term. ************************************************* Follow me on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/fitnessoriented/ Follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/FitnessOriented Follow me on Google+: plus.google.com/+FitnessOriented