Vinys
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Lower back, upper back, neck, shoulders, wrists, hips and ankles

Upward Dog: From Plank (Vinyasa)

The most demanding version: a dynamic flow from plank through to upward dog that builds advanced strength, coordination, and spinal control.

Upper Limb Weight Bearing30 to 60 seconds
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How to do it

  1. 1

    Start in a plank on your hands

    Shoulders stacked over the wrists, body in one long line from head to heels, legs firm.

  2. 2

    Lower with control, then roll forward over your hands

    The shoulders travel forward past the wrists as the chest comes through. Slow is what makes this work, not strength.

  3. 3

    Straighten the arms with the hips off the floor

    Chest lifts forward and up, thighs stay strong, shoulders draw away from the ears.

  4. 4

    Return to plank and repeat once more

    Two rounds is the whole practice. Taking either half with the knees on the floor is the way to bring the load down.

  5. 5

    Take 30 to 60 seconds over the two transitions

    Fists, a smaller range, keeping the hips low, or padding under the tops of the feet all make the transition kinder.

What to watch for

The transition is where this goes wrong. Rushing it lets the hips drop and the shoulders drift out ahead of the hands, which piles the load onto the wrists and shoulders. Stop if anything starts spreading down an arm or a leg.

Ways to adjust it

  • Classic
  • Knees on floor
  • Small range
  • Stop if symptoms spread
  • Knees on floor version
  • Fists throughout
  • Gaze forward throughout
  • Keep hips low
  • Smaller range
  • Pad the tops of the feet
  • Smaller transition

If this one is too much today

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

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.

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.

One movement is a start. A session is the thing.

A few questions about your body and how it is today, and Vinys builds a session around it, including which movements to leave out.

Start your first session

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.