Cobra

01 Steps

1. 1 Lie face down with hands on the floor beside your shoulders, elbows bent and tucked in.
2. 2 Lightly engage your glutes and press your hips into the floor.
3. 3 Gently push into your hands to lift your chest off the floor by extending your spine.
4. 4 Rise to a comfortable angle — your hips stay on the floor.
5. 5 Hold for 2-3 seconds at the top, then slowly lower back down.

02 Tips

• ✓ Do not force the extension — only go as high as is comfortable. Flexibility will come with time.
• ✓ Keep your shoulders down, away from your ears.
• ✓ This exercise is excellent as a warm-up or cool-down for recovery.

03 Common mistakes

• ✗ Forcing the extension too far: if you feel pain in your lower back, you have gone too high.
• ✗ Shrugging shoulders toward ears: pull them down and back.
• ✗ Lifting hips off the floor: your hips stay grounded throughout.

04 If you struggle

• → Do a "baby cobra": only lift a few inches with elbows still on the floor.
• → Support yourself on your forearms instead of your hands (sphinx pose).
• → Hold for less time (1 second) at the top and do more reps.