Stretch guide · Full body

Downward-facing dog: how to do it

One of the best-known yoga poses, and a stretch for the whole back of your body, from your hands to your heels. Bent knees are fine: most people need them, and the stretch works better with them.

Hold 30–60 seconds
Beginner
Legs, back and shoulders
No equipment

How to do it

Start on all fours. Put your hands shoulder-width apart, a little ahead of your shoulders, with your fingers spread. Your knees go under your hips.
Tuck your toes and lift. Press into your hands, lift your knees off the floor and send your hips up and back, so your body makes an upside-down V.
Lengthen your back first. Keep your knees as bent as you need to let your back stay long and straight. Think "hips up and back", not "heels down".
Then work your legs. If your back stays long, slowly straighten your legs a little and let your heels sink towards the floor. They don't need to touch it.
Breathe, then come down. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, breathing slowly. To finish, lower your knees to the floor and rest for a moment.

Downward-Facing Dog in Stretch 3D, stretch 5 of the free Wake Up routine.

What it stretches

Downward dog stretches the whole back of the body at once. The backs of your legs, your hamstrings and calves, lengthen as your heels sink. Your spine lengthens as you push the floor away, and your shoulders open as your arms reach past your head.

It takes a little effort too, because your arms and shoulders carry part of your weight. For most people tight hamstrings are what limits the pose, which is why bending the knees helps so much: it lets the back lengthen first.

Main muscles: HamstringsCalvesBackShoulders
Where you feel it: Backs of the legs, and up through the back and shoulders

How often to do it

You can do it every day. It fits well in a morning routine, after something gentler like cat-cow has warmed up your back. One hold of 30 to 60 seconds is enough to start with.

If your hamstrings are tight, you'll notice the pose getting easier over a few weeks of regular practice, and your heels slowly getting closer to the floor.

Every dayMornings work well
30–60 sOne steady hold
After cat-cowWarm the back up first

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

Common mistakes

Rounding your back

Straight legs with a rounded back miss the point. Bend your knees until your back is long, then work on the legs.

Forcing your heels down

Heels on the floor isn't the goal. Let them hover and sink a little at a time.

Shrugging

Keep your shoulders away from your ears. Press the floor away and let your head hang between your arms.

Sinking into your wrists

Spread your fingers and press through the whole hand, especially the base of the index finger and thumb.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

Bend your knees a lot. It's still the full pose.
Put your hands on a chair seat or a wall instead of the floor.
Hold for 3 to 5 breaths, rest on your knees, and repeat.

Harder

"Walk the dog": bend one knee, then the other, to work each calf in turn.
Hold for the full 60 seconds.
Lift one leg up behind you for a few breaths, then switch.

Look after yourselfThis guide is for general fitness and flexibility, not medical advice. You should feel a stretch, never pain. Your head is below your heart in this pose, so if you have high blood pressure, glaucoma, or a wrist or shoulder injury, or you're pregnant, check with a health professional first.