Learn How to Do the Cobra Stretch

The cobra stretch is a position where you lie down on your stomach and bring your torso upright supported by your arms. This helps to stretch the muscles of your back and abdominals. For people with muscle strain from other forms of physical activity, this gentle stretch can feel good for the deep muscles of the core and the lumbar spine (low back muscles). Some people may use it as part of physical therapy or rehabilitation for the muscles located around the trunk. This move is often used in yoga as a posture or position as part of a sequence of active exercises, but can also be used as a static stretch. The cobra stretch elongates both your back body muscles, including the lower back and your front body muscles, including the abdominals and hip flexors, all at once. It may help to improve your posture if done frequently.

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How-to

Lie face-down on a mat. Place your hands on the floor beside your shoulders.
Push your torso up while keeping your pelvis on the floor. Draw your shoulder blades backwards and downwards.
Hold this position, breathing comfortably throughout.

Muscle Worked

Primary Muscle Groups

Lower Back

The low back helps stabilize your spinal column and connects your upper body to your pelvis.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Abs

"Abs" refers to your abdominal muscles, which sit at the front of your trunk between your ribcage and pelvis

Biceps

The biceps are muscles that sit at the front or your upper arms between your elbows and shoulders

Hip Flexors

The hip flexors flex your leg at the hip joint, helping you to extend your legs forward.

Shoulders

Your shoulders are ball-and-socket joints which connect your arms to your torso

Pro Tips

Your shoulders will be tempted to hunch and shrug. Allow them to relax.
Try not to crunch your neck up or drop your head backward. Keep a neutral neck position to avoid pain or stress to the area.
Spread your fingers out on the ground and try to distribute even weight between all of your knuckles. This will keep your body upright.
Keep your feet pointing straight back and try to ground the tops of your feet to the floor.

Benefits

The cobra stretch can relieve lower back pain. This is helpful if you are often sedentary and experience stiffness in your back. For people with chronic lower back pain, cobra stretching can be a key component of a yoga program that targets pain in the low back. Learn more here: Effects of Yoga for Chronic Low Back Pain and Comparison of Yoga vs. Stretching for Chronic Low Back Pain.
This position may increase your flexibility and reduce pain from the hip flexors.
You can gently improve your arm strength by engaging the arm muscles to keep you upright.

Learn How to Do the Cobra Stretch

How-to