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Child Pose Exercise Guide

Reviewed by Valerie Zeller Valerie Zeller Printable version

Child’s Pose is a beginner’s yoga pose often performed to rest between more difficult poses. The position stretches the thighs, hips and ankles and helps relax the body and mind.

Child Pose
Discover more exercises for:
Buttocks Core Hips Legs Lower Back Lower Body Upper Legs Waist Abs Quadriceps Glutes Spinal Erectors
Discover complete workouts for:
Buttocks Core Hips Legs Lower Back Lower Body Upper Legs Waist Abs Quadriceps Glutes Spinal Erectors

How to do Child Pose

Exercise

Starting on your hands and knees with your hands a little further forward than your shoulders, your knees a little wider than your hips and your big toes lightly touching each other. Take your hips towards your heels and your forehead down to the floor. Let everything soften and see if you can allow your hips to sink down to the heels. If your forehead doesn’t reach to the floor, place a thick book underneath it. To come out press into your legs and hands and return to a kneeling position.

A common mistake is to having a feeling of holding or waiting whilst in the pose. Instead we want to let go and soften. It helps to focus on slowing down your breath and to imagine you are sinking deeper to the floor with every exhale.

Modifications

  • When you're having difficulty raising your buttocks to touch your knees, put a rolled up pad between your thighs and calves.

  • When you're hoping, put a bolster beneath your abdomen for protection.

Exercise Benefits

  • Relaxation

  • Shoulder Stretch

  • Flexibility

Illustrated Guide

Learn how to do child pose from this step-by-step illustrations:

Child Pose 1
Child Pose 2
Child Pose 3
Child Pose 4
Child Pose 5
Child Pose 7

Muscles Worked

The muscles used for child pose may change slightly based on the your trained range of motion and technique, but in the most general case, the muscles used for child pose are:

Primary Muscles

  • Abs
  • Quadriceps
  • Glutes
  • Spinal Erectors

Synergyst Muscles

  • Lats
  • Splenius

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Child Pose work?
Child Pose works abs, quadriceps, glutes, spinal erectors.
What is Child Pose good for?
Child Pose is beneficial for conditioning, for stretching and to strengthen. It works the best for buttocks, core, hips, legs, lower back, lower body, upper legs and waist, as it works abs, quadriceps, glutes, spinal erectors. Child Pose is a great bodyweight exercise for men, men over 50, women and women over 50.
Is Child Pose a good exercise?
Child Pose is a popular bodyweight exercise for abs, quadriceps, glutes, spinal erectors.

Training, Progressions and Regressions

Interested in how to improve your Child Pose faster?

Child Pose Training and Progressions

Standards and Averages

Wonder how do others perform in Child Pose and how should you?

Child Pose Standards and Averages

Alternatives

Wonder how to work the same muscles with other exercises?

Child Pose Alternatives

Variations

Wonder how to make Child Pose either easier or more challenging?

Child Pose Variations

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Classification

Type(s) Bodyweight, Calisthenic, Strength, Compound
Muscles Worked Abdominals, Quadriceps, Gluteus, Latissimus Dorsi, Erector Spinae, Splenius
Difficulty Level(s) Basic, Easy, Simple
Equipment No Equipment, Mat
Location At Gym, At Home, Outdoor

Muscles Worked

Target muscle(s) Abs, Quadriceps, Glutes, Spinal Erectors
Synergyst muscle(s) Lats, Splenius

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