Seated Cat–Cow

A seated spine stretch: lift the chest as you breathe in, round the back as you breathe out. 6 rounds.

05 / 14Side view of a seated figure lifting the chest with hands on knees
The dark figure shows the position; orange dotted arrows show which way to move. Front-view pictures work like a mirror: copy them as if they were your reflection.

How to do it

  1. Sit near the front half of the seat and rest your hands on your knees.
  2. Breathe in: gently lift your chest and look ahead (Cow).
  3. Breathe out: round your back and tuck your chin (Cat).
  4. Move slowly with your breath.

How many 6 rounds

Gentler version

Make the movement smaller.

Who should skip this or take care

Move only in a comfortable range, and stop if anything hurts.

Read the safety check if you have a heart, bone or joint condition.

Common mistake

Throwing the head back in Cow. Look ahead, not up.

The chair yoga chart

  1. 01Belly Breathing5 slow breaths
  2. 02Seated Mountain PoseHold for 30 seconds
  3. 03Seated Neck Stretch3 times each side
  4. 04Shoulder Rolls5 circles each way
  5. 05Seated Cat–Cow6 rounds
  6. 06Seated Side Stretch3 times each side, hold 2 breaths
  7. 07Seated Spinal Twist2 times each side, hold 3 breaths
  8. 08Self-Hug StretchHold 3 breaths, twice
  9. 09Wrist and Finger Exercises5 circles each way, 5 open-and-close
  10. 10Seated March30–60 seconds
  11. 11Seated Ankle Exercises10 rocks
  12. 12Seated Leg Lifts8 times each leg
  13. 13Seated Figure-4 StretchHold 3 breaths each side
  14. 14Seated Hamstring StretchHold 3 breaths each side

More for back and spine

Last updated . Sources · Safety