Skip to main content

Cow Pose

Step by step instructions, muscle activation and variants for the Cow Pose.

EasyCore

About this exercise

The cow stretch is a gentle floor-based mobility exercise performed on all fours, where you arch your spine downward and lift your head and tailbone upward. It opens the abdominal muscles and releases tension in the lower back and core, and is commonly paired with the cat stretch.

How to Perform

  • Begin on your hands and knees with wrists directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips
  • Ensure your back is in a neutral, flat position as a starting point
  • Inhale as you drop your belly toward the floor, allowing your spine to arch downward
  • Lift your head and tailbone toward the ceiling simultaneously
  • Hold the arched position for a breath or two, feeling the stretch across your abdomen and lower back
  • Exhale as you return to the neutral position
  • Repeat for the desired number of breaths or repetitions

Muscle Activation

Primary
Core
Secondary
AbsLower back

Common Mistakes

Common mistakes content is coming soon.

About the Cow Pose

The Cow Pose is a foundational movement that builds strength and muscle through controlled, progressive overload. Train it 1 to 2 times per week with 3 to 5 working sets per session, gradually adding weight or reps as form holds up.

You may also like

45-Degree Bicycle Twisting Crunch

Bodyweight · Medium
AbsCoreObliquesGlutesQuadriceps

90/90 Switch

Bodyweight · Easy
AbsGlutesCoreObliquesInner thighsQuadricepsOuter thighs

Ab wheel rollout

Bodyweight · Hard
AbsCoreRear shouldersTrapeziusMiddle back

Ab Wheel Rollout with Wall Support

Bodyweight · Easy
AbsCoreTricepsLower back