If you have ever been to a yoga class, you have likely done cat/cow. This yoga essential consists of moving the spine from a rounded position (flexion) to an arched one (extension). It’s a basic motion, but one that is enormously beneficial in preventing back pain and maintaining a healthy spine. If you spend a lot of time sitting, you will find adding this to your daily routine very helpful.
1. Start on your hands and knees, aligning your wrists underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips.
2. Start with your spine in a neutral position, picturing it nice and flat
3. Keep the neck long, as the natural extension of the spine.
Inhale
1. Tilt your pelvis back so that your tail sticks up.
3. Let this movement ripple from your tailbone up your spine so that your neck is the last thing to move.
4. Your belly drops down, but keep your abdominal muscles hugging your spine by drawing your navel in.
5. Take your gaze up gently up toward the ceiling without cranking your neck.
Exhale
1. Tip your pelvis forward, tucking your tailbone. Let this action move up your spine.
2. Your spine will naturally round.
3. Draw your navel toward your spine.
4. Drop your head, and take your gaze to your navel.
Repeat the cat-cow stretch on each inhale and exhale, matching the movement to your own breath.
Here’s a video we created to help show you what it looks like!