Upward-Facing Dog

A prone backbend on straight arms with the thighs lifted off the floor, so the arms and back extensors hold the chest open and the spine long.

How to do it

1. Lie face down with the hands beside the lower ribs and the tops of the feet on the floor.
2. Press the hands down and straighten the arms, lifting the chest and then the thighs off the mat.
3. Draw the shoulders back and down and keep the neck long.
4. Hold the position for the prescribed time with only the hands and the tops of the feet on the floor.
5. Bend the arms and lower down under control.

Tips

• Keep the shoulders over the wrists rather than behind them.
• Press the tops of the feet down; that is what lifts the thighs.
• If the thighs cannot lift, stay in cobra instead of forcing the position.

Muscles

Primary: Erector spinae, Triceps

Secondary: Glutes (max), Chest