High Cobra Cat-Cow
High Cobra Cat-Cow
Muscle Group(s) Stretched: Back
Muscle Group(s) Strengthened: Spinal extension (backbending), spinal flexion (rounding)
Type of Stretch: Active Dynamic
Difficulty: All-Levels
Suggested Prerequisites: none
This combination of cat-cow and high cobra is a fun way to add some movement to your regular ol’ cobra pose.
How To
Step 1
Start in a high cobra pose. Walk your hands slightly forwards and straighten your arms.
Step 2
Press into your hands as you: tuck your chin to your chest (round your neck), pull your chest and the space between your shoulder blades backwards (rounding your upper back), tuck your tailbone and lift your hips off the floor (rounding your low back). Hold for a moment (you should have your neck, back and hips rounded - make sure you don’t lift your hips so high that you start arching your back).
Step 3
Slowly lower back down one vertebrae at a time, dropping your hips, your belly, lifting your chest, and finally lifting your head back to your high cobra. That’s one rep. Repeat for 3-8 (slow!) reps.
Modifications
Need to make it easier?
Try this in your low cobra instead (starting belly on the floor)
Want to make it harder?
Add more active back activation, when you “lower” back into your high cobra position, actively pull your tailbone towards the back of your head (tilting your hip bones forwards slightly into a “booty cobra” position), and reaching the back of your head towards your butt (engaging the back of your neck).
Related Content
Flexopedia: High Cobra
Flexopedia: Cat-Cow
Blog Post: [Video] 5 Puppy Pose Variations for Open Shoulders
Blog Post: The Importance of “External Shoulder Rotation” in a Backbend
Blog Post: How to Get More Open Shoulders in a Bridge
