How to Do Child's Pose: Back Stretching Guide
Master Child's Pose with our expert guide. Learn the proper technique to relieve lower back tension, improve hip mobility, and reduce spinal compression.
How to Perform
- Begin by kneeling on a soft surface or exercise mat with your big toes touching and your knees spread roughly hip-width apart.
- Lower your hips toward your heels and sit back comfortably with a straight spine.
- Exhale as you lean forward, folding at the hips to lower your torso between your thighs.
- Extend your arms forward on the floor with palms facing down and gently rest your forehead against the mat.
- Deepen the stretch by reaching your fingertips forward while keeping your sit bones pressed toward your heels.
- Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds while focusing on slow, rhythmic breathing into your back ribs.
- Slowly walk your hands back toward your knees to return to an upright seated position.
Common Mistakes
- Holding your breath or breathing shallowly into the chest.
- Forcing your forehead to the floor if your hips lift too high off your heels.
- Tensing the shoulders up toward the ears while the arms are extended.
- Rounding the upper back excessively rather than lengthening through the spine.
Muscles Worked
Primary movers
- Lower Back
Stabilizers
- Glutes
- Shoulders
- Hip Flexors
Related Guides
- Chest Doorway Stretch — Stretching
- Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch — Stretching
- Foam Rolling (Full Body) — Stretching
Lower Back · Stretching