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If you want to use a core back strengthening program, the Cat-Cow stretch does that most efficiently. It is a pose that is not only easy to perform, but affords you clear brevity of steps. The best thing about it is that it is easy to grasp and implement. Engaging your attention towards the need for establishing postural balance is what the Cat-Cow stretch exercise does very well.
The idea behind the Cat-Cow stretch pose is to enable ideal spinal postural alignment right from your head to your pelvis. This is a kneeling-down-on-the-support-of-all-four-limbs type of asana. To transpose into this kinetic spinal chain forming asana from any other pose is really very easy.
Coordination of spinal movement, stretching, and alignment is what is achieved by the Cat-Cow stretch pose. It provides flexion and extension of your spine gradually without causing any undue stresses or injury to your back. It strengthens your back muscles in a way that no other easy asana can comparably achieve. It helps stretch your back muscles and your spine. It is useful for providing relief from back pain that originates from bad posture.
How to perform the Cat-Cow Stretch?
Kneel down in the classic corporal punishment position. Next bend forward from your hips and support your upper trunk by resting your upper limbs on the floor.
This is exactly like the horsy-horsy pose that you might undertake to provide a ride to your child on your back. Only thing is that you need to ensure that your arms make a right angle with your shoulders and are entirely vertical and straight right up to your wrists. The other thing that you need to ensure is that your thighs also nearly make a right angle with your horizontal back.
Keep your neck and head horizontal, so as to make a clear extension of your horizontal back. Your thighs need to be almost vertical with your knees. Touch the floor to support the weight of your torso at the rear end.
Next take a breath in and simultaneously curl your toes in. The effect of this is to stretch your back muscles and align the spine in the ideal position. While you curl your toes in, drop your belly and gradually raise your neck up to look up towards the ceiling.
Ensure that the tailbone in your back is the first to move, while the neck is the last part of the sequence of movements. The pose that you render at this juncture is akin to that of a cat on all its fours looking up.
On exhaling your breath transpose into the cow pose by releasing and moving the toes of both heels as far back as is possible. Do this by also rounding up the spine into a convex shape when looked from the top, and with your head hanging down to look down at your navel. Repeat the cat pose on the subsequent inhalation and the Cow pose on the then next exhalation. Do the sequence 4 to 5 times. Remember that you always change into neutral-spine-gear before you embark on every inhalation.
During the cat pose, you will find your spine is stretched, whereas during the cow pose your back muscles need the much needed workout. An important do of the Cat-Cow stretch pose is to curl in your chin to your chest in the classical hunched cat pose just before you raise your head up to look up towards the ceiling.
This helps in spine flexion. Similarly, another do to slightly arch your back just before you raise your head to look up provides the extension to your spine. Remember that the flat palms and knees resting on the floor are really closing links of the kinetic spinal movement chain.
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