Cobra Stretch Guide: Relieve Back Pain and Stretch Abs

Master the Cobra Stretch with our expert guide. Improve spinal flexibility, open your chest, and relieve tension in your abdominal muscles safely.

How to Perform

  1. Lie face down on a flat surface with your legs extended straight behind you and the tops of your feet resting on the floor.
  2. Place your hands directly under your shoulders with your elbows tucked close to your torso.
  3. Press your hips firmly into the ground and engage your glutes to protect your lower back.
  4. Inhale as you slowly straighten your arms to lift your chest off the floor, keeping your navel near the ground if possible.
  5. Pull your shoulders back and down away from your ears to broaden your collarbone.
  6. Hold the position for twenty to thirty seconds while maintaining deep, controlled breathing.
  7. Exhale as you slowly lower your torso back down to the starting position.

Common Mistakes

  • Benching the neck backward too aggressively which creates cervical compression.
  • Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears and losing neck length.
  • Locking out the elbows with excessive force rather than using back strength.
  • Lifting the hips completely off the floor and losing the targeted abdominal stretch.

Muscles Worked

Primary movers

  • Abs

Stabilizers

  • Lower Back
  • Shoulders
  • Hip Flexors

Related Guides

Abs · Core