Lower and upper back
5 Cobra Pose variations, from gentlest to strongest
Also called bhujangasana, cobra stretch, prone extension.
A small backbend from lying face down, and the gentlest way into extension in the library. The minimal-lift version is often used as a way to find out how a back is behaving before asking for more.
Start here
The list runs from the most supported version to the most demanding. Cobra: Minimal Lift is the one to begin with. Harder is not better: the version you can do without gripping is the one doing the work.
Every version in the library
1 · Spinal Mobility · 15 to 45 seconds
Cobra: Minimal Lift
The most accessible active back extension: eyes barely lift off the floor, introducing gentle strengthening that almost everyone can do safely.
Make it work for you: Gaze down cue
2 · Spinal Mobility · 20 to 60 seconds
Cobra: Baby
A gentle active backbend that lifts your chest just slightly, building back strength in a small range that is accessible and therapeutic for most people.
Make it work for you: Minimal lift. Hands forward. Gaze forward cue
3 · Spinal Mobility · 20 to 60 seconds
Cobra: Hands Forward
Hands placed further from your body reduce the lift height, making back extension gentler and more accessible while still actively strengthening your posterior chain.
Make it work for you: Baby Cobra. Fists
4 · Spinal Mobility · 20 to 60 seconds
Cobra: Classic
Actively strengthens your back muscles while opening the front of your body, building the posterior chain power that supports better posture and spinal health.
Make it work for you: Baby Cobra. Hands further forward. Hands forward
5 · Spinal Mobility · 20 to 60 seconds
Cobra: Seal Pose
The deepest passive back extension in this library, providing maximum anterior chain opening and spinal decompression for bodies ready for advanced extension work.
Make it work for you: Classic Cobra. Blocks. Gaze forward
Common questions
What is the difference between cobra and sphinx?
Sphinx rests on the forearms and takes no effort to hold. Cobra is muscle driven: your back muscles do the lifting, which is why it builds back strength as well as opening the front of the body.
What is the gentlest cobra?
The minimal lift. Your chest barely rises and your eyes only just leave the floor, which makes it the entry point almost anyone can start from. Baby cobra, with the chest lifted slightly, is the next step.
Should I straighten my arms in cobra?
No need. Straight arms is the seal pose, the deepest passive version in the library, meant for bodies already comfortable with strong backbends. Placing the hands further forward lowers the lift if the classic feels like too much.
How long should I hold cobra pose?
20 to 60 seconds for most versions, and 15 to 45 seconds for the minimal lift. Keep your gaze forward and your neck long rather than throwing the head back.
When should I stop and get it checked?
Stop if it sends symptoms further down a leg. And speak to someone rather than working through back pain that followed a fall or accident, comes with fever or unexplained weight loss, wakes you at night regardless of position, or comes with leg weakness. The box below sets out the NICE guidance behind this.
When to stop and ask someone
Nothing on this page can tell whether what you are feeling is ordinary mechanical back pain or something that needs looking at, and the published guidance is direct about that distinction. NICE asks clinicians to think about alternative diagnoses when symptoms are new or have changed, and to exclude specific causes such as cancer, infection, trauma or inflammatory disease.
In practice that means stopping and speaking to someone rather than working through it if the pain followed a significant fall or accident, if it comes with fever or unexplained weight loss, if it wakes you at night and does not change when you change position, or if there is weakness in a leg rather than only pain.
One group needs same-day medical attention rather than a phone call: numbness around the groin or back passage, any change in bladder or bowel control, or weakness developing in both legs.
- NICE NG59, low back pain and sciatica in over 16s, recommendation 1.1.1
Think about alternative diagnoses when examining or reviewing people with low back pain, particularly if they develop new or changed symptoms, and exclude specific causes such as cancer, infection, trauma or inflammatory disease.
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.
Every version above is drawn from the clinically authored Vinys library. This page is general movement information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. What helps for a specific condition.