Cat Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Cat Stretch
- Position yourself on the floor on your hands and knees.
- Pull your belly in and round your spine, lower back, shoulders, and neck, letting your head drop.
- Hold for 15 seconds.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Cat Stretch
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Dancer's Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
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2
Hug A Ball
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the lower back, using an exercise ball.
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3
Lower Back-SMR
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back, using a foam roller.
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4
Pyramid
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back, using an exercise ball.
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5
Superman
A beginner compound mobility exercise that works the lower back, needing no equipment.
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6
Child's Pose
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
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7
Hug Knees To Chest
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
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8
Standing Pelvic Tilt
A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the lower back.
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9
Crossover Reverse Lunge
An intermediate mobility exercise that works the lower back.
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10
Pelvic Tilt Into Bridge
An intermediate compound mobility exercise that works the lower back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do cat stretch work?
Cat Stretch primarily works the lower back. The upper back and traps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for cat stretch?
The source dataset does not record equipment for cat stretch. Check the instructions above before you set up.
Cat Stretch: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Cat Stretch is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of cat stretch?
Dancer's Stretch, Hug A Ball, Lower Back-SMR train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
How do I log cat stretch in Fitnit?
As time held rather than reps. Fitnit records the seconds and credits them to the lower back on your body map, so you can see which muscles you train hard and never stretch.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
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