Hands and feet on the floor, bottom up high, making an upside-down V.
Downward dog
How to do it
- Push the floor away and send your hips up.
- Knees can bend as much as you need.
- Press your heels gently down.
- 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
- Put your hands on a chair seat instead of the floor.
Harder
- Lift one heel, then the other, like walking a dog.
Sitting down? Sit tall and reach both arms up and slightly forward, pressing your hands away.
What it trains
Which muscles do the work
HamstringsCalf musclesShoulder muscleBack wing muscles
Tap one to see it in the Body.