Cobra Pose Stretches

Progressions

1. 01

   Sphinx Pose

   • Lie face down on the floor with your legs extended behind you.

   • Place your forearms on the floor with your elbows directly under your shoulders.

   • Gently press your chest forward and lift your upper body, keeping your lower abdomen and hips on the floor.

   • Focus on engaging your back muscles as you lengthen through the spine, maintaining a mild stretch through the chest and lower back.

2. 02

   Low Cobra Pose

   • Lie face down on the floor with your hands placed under your shoulders.

   • Press into your hands to gently lift your chest and upper body, keeping your elbows bent and close to your sides.

   • Lift only to a low height, maintaining control and focusing on a gentle stretch in your lower back and spine.

   • Keep your hips and lower abdomen on the floor.

3. 03

   High Cobra Pose

   • From a prone position with your hands under your shoulders, press firmly into your hands to lift your chest higher, straightening your arms as you bring your torso up.

   • Focus on extending the spine and creating a deeper stretch in the lower back, while keeping your hips in contact with the floor.

   • Maintain shoulder engagement and avoid straining the lower back as you extend upward.

4. 04

   Cobra Hang

   

   Low Pull Up Bar or Gymnastic Rings

   • Hang from chest-high rings with your arms fully extended overhead.

   • Let your body arch into a cobra position, allowing your chest to open up and your back to arch deeply.

   • Engage your shoulders and core to control the hang while stretching the spine and chest.

   • Relax into the position, letting gravity help deepen the stretch through your entire body.

Common mistakes

• Compressing the lower back by pushing too high
• Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears
• Lifting the hips off the ground
• Hands placed too far forward of the shoulders
• Over-clenching the glutes and legs