Beginner

Child's Pose

Child's pose is a restful stretch that decompresses the spine and lengthens the lats, low back, and shoulders. Sitting the hips back toward the heels while reaching the arms long stretches the whole back line. It is a gentle reset you can return to between more demanding drills or at the end of a session.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Back, Lats
Type
Stretching, Yoga
Muscles worked
Target
Latissimus Dorsi, Erector Spinae
Secondary
Trapezius Lower

How to do it

  1. 1

    Kneel on the floor with knees about hip-width apart and big toes together.

  2. 2

    Sit your hips back toward your heels.

  3. 3

    Walk your hands forward and reach your arms out long in front of you.

  4. 4

    Let your chest and forehead sink toward the floor.

  5. 5

    Relax and breathe slowly for 30 to 60 seconds.

Tips

  • Walk your hands over to one side to bias the stretch into that lat and side of the back.
  • Widen the knees to let your chest settle lower toward the floor.
  • Rest your forehead on a block or stacked fists if it does not reach the floor.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The hips never travel back to the heels, so the position stays a hands-and-knees rest and the back gets very little of the intended lengthening.
  • The palms press hard into the floor to force the chest down, which switches the shoulders on in a pose whose entire point is switching them off.
  • The toes stay tucked under instead of laid flat, which lifts the hips and moves the sensation into the feet and ankles.
  • The head is held up to keep the face off the floor, leaving the neck and upper back working through what is supposed to be a rest.
  • The pose gets used as a ten-second transition between drills, when it takes 30 to 60 seconds of stillness before the back genuinely lets go.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold child's pose?
Thirty to sixty seconds is the working dose, and you can return to it two or three times in a session or use it as the rest between harder drills. At the end of a session, stretching a single hold out to two minutes is fine. Daily use suits most people, since nothing here is loaded.
How do I make child's pose easier or harder?
For an easier version, sit on a cushion wedged between your hips and heels so the knees bend less, and slide a folded blanket under the shins if the tops of the feet complain. To go further, place the hands on a low step or the edge of a couch so the arms stay high while the chest drops beneath them, or thread one arm under the body toward the opposite side for a slow mid-back twist.
What is child's pose for?
It is a low-effort rest that decompresses the spine and gives the lats and low back a gentle pull, which makes it useful between demanding drills or at the end of a session when you want to slow the breath down. It is a poor choice for knees or ankles that dislike deep folding, even with padding, and it will not do much for overhead reach; the anchored lat stretches change that far faster.

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