Lower back, upper back, neck, hips, knees, shoulders and wrists

Cat-Cow: Classic

Gently moves your spine through flexion and extension, promoting fluid movement and reducing stiffness: one of the most versatile spinal mobility exercises in therapeutic yoga.

How to do it

1. 1

   Start on hands and knees

   Hands under shoulders, knees under hips, back level. Pad the knees with a blanket if the floor is hard.

2. 2

   Breathe out and round your back towards the ceiling

   Let your head drop softly and your tailbone tuck under. The movement starts at the pelvis rather than at the shoulders.

3. 3

   Breathe in and reverse it

   Tailbone lifts, belly lowers, chest opens, gaze comes forward and level. Not upwards.

4. 4

   Let the breath set the pace

   One breath, one movement. If you are moving faster than you are breathing, it is too fast.

5. 5

   Continue for one to one and a half minutes

   A comfortable middle range beats the biggest range you can reach.

What to watch for

Cranking the neck up at the top. The head follows the spine rather than leading it. Stop if the movement spreads symptoms down an arm or a leg, whatever the range.

Ways to adjust it

• Small range
• Chair
• Thoracic focus
• Neutral head hold
• Blanket under knees
• Forearm support
• Blocks
• Fists
• Forearms

If this one is too much today

Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.

• Cat-Cow: Seated Chair

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits. See all Cat-Cow versions in one place, ordered from gentlest to strongest.

• Cat-Cow: Blocks Under Hands
• Cat-Cow: Seated Chair
• Cat-Cow: Seated Hands-Free
• Cat-Cow: Small Range
• Cat-Cow: Standing at Wall

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.