Exercise Guide

Cat-Cow Stretch

Arching and rounding the spine on all fours. Moves every segment of the back through its range and is the standard opener for a warm-up.

BeginnerStretchingStaticIsolation
Form
Cat-Cow Stretch - Start position
Start
Cat-Cow Stretch - Mid position
Mid
Cat-Cow Stretch - End position
End

Illustrations by Bryl Lim for Workout Guide, after Everkinetic. Used unchanged under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Details

Primary Muscle

Core

Equipment

Bodyweight

Difficulty

Beginner

Category

Stretching

Force

Static

Mechanic

Isolation

Secondary Muscles

Lower BackMiddle Back
How to Perform
  1. 1

    Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.

  2. 2

    Drop your belly and lift your chest and tailbone, arching your back.

  3. 3

    Reverse it: round your spine toward the ceiling and tuck your chin and tailbone.

  4. 4

    Move slowly between the two, breathing out as you round.

Tips
  • ★Let the movement travel through the whole spine rather than hinging at one spot.
  • ★Slow it right down and pair it with your breathing.
Explore by Muscle
CoreLower BackMiddle Back