Dancer's Stretch
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Dancer's Stretch
- Sit up on the floor.
- Cross your right leg over your left, keeping the knee bent. Your left leg is straight and down on the floor.
- Place your left arm on your right leg and your right hand on the floor.
- Rotate your upper body to the right, and hold for 10-20 seconds. Switch sides.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Dancer's 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
Cat 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
Superman
A beginner compound mobility exercise that works the lower back, needing no equipment.
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4
Lower Back-SMR
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back, using a foam roller.
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5
Pyramid
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back, using an exercise ball.
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6
Child's Pose
A beginner mobility exercise that works the lower back.
-
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 dancer's stretch work?
Dancer's Stretch primarily works the lower back. The glutes assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for dancer's stretch?
The source dataset does not record equipment for dancer's stretch. Check the instructions above before you set up.
Dancer's Stretch: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Dancer's 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 dancer's stretch?
Cat Stretch, Hug A Ball, Superman train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
How do I log dancer's 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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