Lower back, upper back, shoulders and wrists

Upward Dog: Chair

The most accessible backbend: standing with hands on a chair gently opens your chest and front body with no floor or wrist demands.

How to do it

1. 1

   Stand facing a chair that cannot slide

   Put it against a wall first. Feet hip width and planted, weight even.

2. 2

   Place both hands on the chair seat

   Stay close enough that the arms are long and the body slopes only gently forward. A higher surface or the backrest makes it kinder, and forearms on the chair work too.

3. 3

   Press lightly down and lift your chest forward

   The hands give you something to lengthen away from while your weight stays in your legs, so the front of the body opens and the upper back joins in.

4. 4

   Keep the neck long and the shoulders down

   Gaze forward rather than up. Legs stay active underneath you throughout.

5. 5

   Hold 20 to 60 seconds, then come back to standing

   Take less lift, or raise the hand position, any time you want it milder.

What to watch for

Letting the whole bend collect in one place low down instead of spreading through the upper back. Raising the hand height, or dropping to forearms, keeps it spread out.

Ways to adjust it

• Adjust chair height
• Reduce extension range
• Forearms on chair if needed
• Adjust hand placement

Other ways to do this movement

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

• Upward Dog: Bolster Under Pelvis
• Upward Dog: Classic
• Upward Dog: From Plank (Vinyasa)
• Upward Dog: Hands on Blocks
• Upward Dog: Knees on Floor
• Upward Dog: Toes Tucked

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.