Mo: Posture & Back Pain Relief

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Cat-cow stretch for lower back stiffness

Cat-cow is a gentle, breath-led movement that takes your spine through small arches and rounds. Many people use it as a warm-up when their back feels stiff after sitting.

How to do it

1. Start on hands and knees, hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
2. Breathe in: let your belly sink and lift your chest and tailbone slightly.
3. Breathe out: round your spine toward the ceiling and tuck your chin.

Dose: 8 slow breath cycles.

Tip: Move with your breath and keep the range small if your wrists feel sore.

Common mistakes

• Going for a big range. Small and smooth is enough, especially at first.
• Moving faster than your breath. Let the breath set the pace.
• Letting your wrists take too much strain. Keep the range small if they feel sore, or try it seated on a chair.
• Pushing into pain. Stay in a comfortable range.

No floor? Do it seated: hands on your knees, arch gently as you breathe in, round as you breathe out.

When to stop and see a professional

Stop and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist if you notice:

• numbness, tingling or weakness in an arm, hand, leg or foot
• pain that spreads (radiates) down an arm or leg
• pain that started after an accident, fall or other injury
• loss of bladder or bowel control, or numbness between your legs (seek emergency care)
• pain that keeps getting worse, wakes you at night, or comes with fever or unexplained weight loss

Related guides

• Seated cat-cow
• Child's pose for lower back
• Lower back pain from sitting: 3 gentle floor moves
• Open book stretch for upper back stiffness
• Hip flexor stretch for people who sit all day
• Desk stretches you can do at work
• Bird dog exercise for your back
• Glute bridge for lower back
• Mo: Posture & Back Pain Relief app

Sources

• NHS: Back pain
• Cochrane review: Yoga treatment for chronic non-specific low back pain (Wieland et al., 2017)
• WHO fact sheet: Low back pain