Cat Cow Stretch
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Körperregion
- Waist
- Typ
- Stretching
The cat cow stretch is a body-weight spinal mobility drill performed on your hands and knees, flowing between rounding (cat) and arching (cow) the back. It mobilizes the whole spine while engaging the erector spinae, obliques, and rectus abdominis, making it a go-to warm-up or cool-down for low-back and core mobility.
Cat Cow Stretch: So führst du sie aus
- 1Start in a tabletop position with your hands stacked directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips, about hip-width apart.
- 2Spread your fingers wide, press evenly through your palms, and set your spine in a long, neutral line from the crown of your head to your tailbone.
- 3Inhale and move into cow: drop your belly toward the floor, lift your chest and tailbone, and let your gaze rise slightly forward.
- 4Exhale and move into cat: draw your navel up toward your spine, round your upper back toward the ceiling, and tuck your chin toward your chest.
- 5Initiate each transition from your pelvis and tailbone, letting the movement ripple segment by segment along your spine.
- 6Keep your arms straight and your shoulders away from your ears throughout, moving only the spine and pelvis.
- 7Flow slowly between cat and cow in time with your breath, pausing briefly at each end range.
- 8Complete your reps, then return to a neutral tabletop spine and sit back to rest.
Technik-Tipps
- Sync every phase with your breath — inhale to arch into cow, exhale to round into cat — to keep the pace smooth and controlled.
- Move through your full available range at each end without forcing it; the stretch should feel like mobility work, not a strain.
- Keep your weight evenly distributed across both hands and shins so you don't dump pressure into your wrists.
- Engage your abdominals on the cat phase to drive the rounding from your core rather than just shrugging your shoulders.
Häufige Fehler
- Rushing through the reps, which skips end range and turns a mobility drill into a quick wobble that mobilizes little.
- Letting the shoulders creep up toward the ears, which adds neck tension and steals the focus from the spine.
- Hyperextending the neck by cranking the head far back in cow, which can pinch the cervical spine.
- Collapsing into the wrists with locked elbows, which loads the joints instead of keeping the work in the spine and core.
- Bending and straightening the elbows to fake more range, which moves the arms instead of the spine you're trying to mobilize.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What muscles does the cat cow stretch work?
It targets the spinal muscles — the erector spinae — along with the obliques and rectus abdominis, which control the rounding and arching of the spine through each phase.
Is the cat cow stretch good for lower back pain?
Many people use it to gently mobilize a stiff lower back and warm up the spine. Move slowly within a pain-free range, and check with a professional if you have an existing back condition.
How many reps of cat cow should I do?
A set of 8 to 12 slow, breath-synced cycles works well as a warm-up or cool-down. You can repeat for 2 to 3 sets or use it as a movement break through the day.
Should I breathe in or out during cat and cow?
Inhale as you arch into cow (belly down, chest up) and exhale as you round into cat (back up, chin tucked). Matching breath to movement keeps the flow smooth and controlled.
