On your hands and knees, arch your back up like a cat, then let it dip like a cow.
Cat and cow
How to do it
- Slow: in on the dip, out on the arch.
- Move your whole back, not just your head.
- Nothing at all
- Enough floor to lie down on, arms out.
- A rug or a mat, and nothing sharp where you put your hands.
Watch out for this
Make it fit you
The right version is the hardest one you can still do properly. That is not a kindness, it is how this works.
Easier
- Do just the cat half, slowly.
Harder
- Hold each shape for three slow breaths.
Sitting down? Sit tall, round your back, then lift your chest: the same shape, in a chair.
What it trains
🤸 Bendiness🤹 Putting it together
Which muscles do the work
BackboneBelly musclesShrug muscle
Tap one to see it in the Body.
Where you'll do it
Animal ParadeRed Light, Green Light SquatsFive Little MonkeysTeddy Bear CarryThree Minute Shake-OutCarpet ThreeUp and Down the HallwayTwenty On, Ten OffPush and PullPlank PartyBear Crawl MountainMorning StretchAfter Sitting All DayYou Go, I GoEverybody MovesQuiet SixBall and BackThe CarryWaddle and KickTummy and BackRoll and TumbleHang and ClimbPlayground FeetThrow and ChaseSlam and PressThe Long CarryMirror WorkoutPass and SquatThe Whole HallCornersBefore Bed StretchLong LegsDesk Side ThreeHold StillBridge and BraceShoulders and GripRope and TossMirror MeA game