How to Do Cat-Cow: Steps, Form, and Benefits
Master the Cat-Cow stretch with our expert guide. Improve spinal mobility, relieve back tension, and strengthen your core with proper technique.
How to Perform
- Begin on the floor in a quadruped position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Inhale deeply while dropping your belly toward the floor, arching your back, and tilting your head and tailbone upward.
- Hold the arched position for a brief second to maximize the stretch through your anterior torso.
- Exhale slowly while pulling your navel toward your spine and rounding your back toward the ceiling like a stretching cat.
- Tuck your chin toward your chest and allow your tailbone to curve downward to complete the spinal flexion.
- Repeat the transition between these two positions fluidly, matching each movement to the rhythm of your breath.
Common Mistakes
- Bending the elbows instead of keeping the arms straight throughout the movement
- Moving too quickly and losing the mind-muscle connection with the vertebrae
- Putting excessive pressure on the wrists instead of distributing weight through the fingers
- Forcing the neck into extreme extension rather than following a natural curve
Muscles Worked
Primary movers
- Erector Spinae
Stabilizers
- Rectus Abdominis
- Serratus Anterior
- Trapezius
- Pelvic Floor
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Erector Spinae · Strength