What should I feel during Child's Pose?

Lats and upper back lengthen while breathing expands the ribs.

What are common mistakes with Child's Pose?

Hips floating high; Shrugging shoulders into ears

How do I progress Child's Pose?

Walk hands to each side to bias one lat.

What can I do instead of Child's Pose?

Supine lat stretch, Thread the Needle, T-spine back roll

Child's Pose

Knees wide, hips toward heels, arms long, forehead relaxed.

family=child s posepattern=static stretchforce=staticmechanic=isolationequipment=body_weight

Muscles

muscle emphasis · training guidance

latsPRIME

traps68

erector spinae56

glutes44

Primary: lats
Supporting: traps, erector spinae, glutes

Mechanics

Pattern: static stretch
Equipment: bodyweight
Geometry: Variable Range
Target feel: Lats and upper back lengthen while breathing expands the ribs.
Progression: Walk hands to each side to bias one lat.
Regression: Put a pad under knees or elevate hands.

Watch for

Hips floating high
Shrugging shoulders into ears

Equipment context

Bodyweight exercises need no equipment, but progression depends on leverage and position rather than added load.

Substitutions

See all 36 lats exercises in the Atlas

Progression ladder

Beginner / regression: Put a pad under knees or elevate hands.
Standard: Child's Pose
Advanced / progression: Walk hands to each side to bias one lat.

Atlas metrics

Movement pattern: static stretch
Primary target: lats
Supporting muscles: traps, erector spinae, glutes
Equipment: bodyweight
Joint geometry: Variable Range
Alternatives: 3 substitutions

Evidence & limits

Last reviewed against peer-reviewed biomechanics references. Exercise descriptions are framed as training guidance, not medical advice.

Source: ExRx.net Exercise & Muscle Directory

Eccentryx is fitness software. It is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, injury, or medical condition. Consult a licensed physician before beginning any exercise program.

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Range of Motion Reference

FAQ

How do I set up Child's Pose?: Knees wide, hips toward heels, arms long, forehead relaxed.
What should I feel during Child's Pose?: Lats and upper back lengthen while breathing expands the ribs.
What are common mistakes with Child's Pose?: Hips floating high; Shrugging shoulders into ears
How do I progress Child's Pose?: Walk hands to each side to bias one lat.
What can I do instead of Child's Pose?: Supine lat stretch, Thread the Needle, T-spine back roll

Asset in production

Verified form media not published yet

This indexed Atlas page keeps the exercise metadata live while the verified form asset is in production. No generated or placeholder exercise media is shown here.

Movement family: child s pose
Force type: static
Graph edges: 1360 Atlas movement links reviewed

Nearest visible substitute: Quadruped t-spine rotation

nearest visible Atlas substitute found in 2 movement graph hops
movement graph path: Child's Pose -> Thread the Needle -> Quadruped t-spine rotation
curated substitution in the Atlas
same body part: recovery

Train Child's Pose in Gym Mode → Browse the public Atlas →