Downward Dog
- Beginner
- Yoga
- Mobility
Downward dog is a bodyweight yoga pose formed on all fours, hands slightly ahead of your shoulders, hips lifted high into an inverted V while your heels reach toward the floor. It stretches the hamstrings and calves while loading the lats through the hold. Beginners use it as a warmup, cooldown or recovery flow, held for time.
- Muscles
- Hamstrings, Calves, Lats
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Logged as
- Timed hold
How to
- Start on all fours, hands slightly ahead of shoulders.
- Tuck your toes and lift your hips high.
- Press your chest toward your thighs, heels reaching down.
- Hold the inverted V, breathing steadily.
Form cues
- Keep your neck long, ears between your arms.
- Press your whole hand down, not just fingers.
- Rotate your upper arms slightly outward.
Common mistakes
- Neck grips tight and shoulders hike up. Let your neck stay soft, shoulders relaxed down.
- Knees lock straight, rounding the lower back. Bend your knees slightly to keep your spine long.
- Weight dumps forward onto the wrists. Push the floor away to spread the load.
Wellboy is a wellness and fitness app, not a healthcare service, and it does not provide medical advice. Talk to a doctor or another healthcare professional before starting a new exercise or diet routine if you have a medical condition, an injury, are pregnant, or have symptoms.
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