Stretch guide · Back

Cat-cow stretch: how to do it

A slow, rocking movement on your hands and knees that takes your whole spine from rounded to arched and back again. It's an easy way to loosen a stiff back first thing in the morning.

30–60 seconds, 5–10 slow rounds
Beginner
Whole spine and lower back
No equipment

How to do it

Start on all fours. Put your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, with your back flat like a table. A folded towel under your knees helps on a hard floor.
Cow: breathe in and arch. Let your belly sink towards the floor while you lift your chest and tailbone. Look a little forward, not up at the ceiling.
Cat: breathe out and round. Press the floor away with your hands and round your back up towards the ceiling, like a cat stretching. Tuck your tailbone under and let your head drop.
Keep it flowing. Move slowly between the two with your breath: in for cow, out for cat. Let the movement start at your tailbone and roll up through your back to your head.
Finish in the middle. After 5 to 10 rounds, come back to a flat back. You can sit back onto your heels for a moment before you get up.

Cat-Cow Flow in Stretch 3D. It opens the Lower Back Relief routine and is also in the free Wake Up routine.

What it stretches

Cat-cow is more of a moving stretch than a held one. In the cat position, rounding your back lengthens the muscles that run either side of your spine. In the cow position, arching lengthens the front of your body: your stomach muscles and chest.

Moving gently between the two takes each part of the spine through its range, which is why it feels good when your back is stiff from sleep or from sitting. It also links the movement to slow breathing, which many people find calming.

Main muscles: Spinal erectorsAbdominalsChest
Where you feel it: Along the whole back, most of all the lower back

How often to do it

It's gentle enough to do every day. It works well first thing in the morning, as a warm-up before other stretches, or as a break after a long time sitting. A minute is usually enough.

If your back is very stiff, start with small movements and let them grow a little with each round.

Every dayGentle enough for daily use
5–10 roundsOne slow breath each way
MorningsOr after a long sit

In the app: Wake Up routine, under 4 minutes, free

Common mistakes

Rushing it

Fast rocking turns it into a jiggle. Let each position take a full, slow breath.

Cranking your neck

In cow, look a little forward rather than right up. Your neck should follow the curve of your back, not lead it.

Moving only the middle

Start each movement at the tailbone and let it travel up the spine, so the lower back and neck join in too.

Sinking into your shoulders

Keep pressing the floor away so your shoulders stay away from your ears, in both positions.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

Sit on a chair with your hands on your knees and do the same rounding and arching.
Make the movement smaller and stay where it's comfortable.
If your wrists ache, rest on your fists or forearms.

Harder

Pause for a breath at the end of each position.
Add a gentle sway of the hips from side to side between rounds.
Follow it with downward-facing dog, as the Wake Up routine does.

Look after yourselfThis guide is for general fitness and flexibility, not medical advice. Move within a range that feels comfortable, and stop if anything hurts. If you have a back, neck or wrist injury, or you're pregnant, check with a health professional first.