Child’s Pose for Beginners and Men | A Step-by-Step Tutorial

This is an all-purpose pose to relax your body and release tension in your spine, back, and hips. It’s a great cool down to return your breathing to normal, or a warm up to activate the core, upper back, and shoulders. Child’s pose also helps relieve stiffness in the spine after sitting for an extended period of time.

Child’s Pose Target Areas

HipsBackSpineShoulders

Child’s Pose Benefits

Relieves back pain and stiffnessSlows breathing and encourages post-workout recoveryImproves shoulder mobilityStraightens spine to improve posture

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Child’s Pose – Step 1Child’s Pose – Step 2

How to Do Child’s Pose

Start on all fours with shoulders over hands and hips over knees. Widen knees slightly wider than hip-width apart, and touch big toes together.Shift your hips back toward heels as far as you comfortably can. Keep torso as long as possible.Keeping hips pushed back, walk your arms forward on the floor to stretch your back, and place hands shoulder-width apart. Lightly squeeze arms and shoulders toward one another, and firmly press hands into floor.Tighten lower abs, and draw ribs in. Hold the posture, inhaling to expand your chest and fill lungs, and exhaling to tighten abs and draw ribs in.

Cues for Child’s Pose

Flatten backKeep head in line with spineEngage lower abdominal musclesForm straight line from hips to handsPress hands firmly into floor

WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL

Stretch in shoulders, back, hips, thighs, and anklesEngagement of core and upper back

WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL

Lack of stretching in back; if so, engage coreHead not touching floor; if so, rest forehead on a blockPain in knees; if you do, bend knees less

Child’s Pose Pro Tip

You can make Child’s pose active or passive. To be more active, keep shoulders and arms engaged. To be more passive, relax elbows to the floor.