Let's talk about the "cat" exercise - this is one of the basic exercises, which will be appropriate in any workout. It belongs to the category of static exercises, and can be easily performed at home, without requiring additional equipment. Represents alternate extension and flexion of the back. It is recommended to perform at least 5-10 repetitions per workout.

Who is it suitable for?

“Cat” is suitable for everyone, regardless of age and level of training. The exercise is recommended even for pregnant women - during its execution, the spine is well warmed up and an additional massage of the abdominal cavity occurs. The abdominal muscles are kept in good shape, which contributes to an easy birth and quick recovery.

Add it to your daily training program and you will feel the results very quickly.

Effect on the body

During the exercise, the muscles of the back and abdomen are used. Strengthening internal muscles core, lumbar region, spine stretches, posture straightens. Improves coordination and flexibility of the neck, back and shoulders.

The “cat” exercise with abdominal pumping allows you to make your stomach beautiful and flat no worse than the famous “vacuum”. Regular exercise will help you get rid of back pain.

Execution technique

The initial position is on all fours, hands exactly under the shoulders. We rest our palms on the floor. The distance between the legs should be small, no more than 10 centimeters. At the beginning of the exercise, the lower back and pelvis should be relaxed:

1. In the starting position, you need to take a deep breath and exhale sharply.
2. As you exhale, you need to round your back as much as possible, pull in your stomach as much as possible and squeeze your buttocks. At the same time, the pelvis should remain straight, the tailbone should look down, the head should be lowered. In this way we become like a wild cat.
3. In this position, count to 8, then bend your back at the waist and lift your head up. Pull your pelvis up. Count to 8.
4. After this, return to the original position and inhale.

Execution option.

Variations of the exercise

There are several variations of the “cat” exercise, slightly different from each other:

• The “Japanese cat” is performed sitting on your heels, with your hands on your hips.
• The peculiarity of the “Sphinx” is in the position of the hands - you need to stand not on your hands, but on your forearms.
• In the “cat moves its tail” exercise, movements of the pelvis to the left and right are added.

Common Mistakes

While the technique may seem simple, in fact, beginners often make mistakes that affect their effectiveness. First of all, you need to monitor the starting position and prevent the knees and palms from moving.

Also, novice athletes forget to keep their stomach tense and disrupt their head movements. Try not to press your chin to your chest during the first part, and do not touch the back of your head as you arch your back.

Don't forget to watch your breathing - arching your back as you inhale limits the air flow. Control your movements and avoid jerking. Perform the exercise regularly, then the “cat” will be as effective as possible.

Secrets of execution

There are a few useful tips which will help you master this exercise faster and more successfully.

First, remember to relax. The exercise should be performed in a calm state, putting aside emotions and experiences.

If the mechanics of the execution are not too clear, during training, try to mentally imagine that you are trying to recoil from someone’s palm while protruding your back. And while bending, try to get away from her touch.

Good luck with your training!

Every year the number of people experiencing back pain is increasing. This is all because many people spend time in front of the computer in the wrong position. The “Cat” exercise with additional pumping of the abs and thigh muscles will help you cope with this situation. With regular practice, you can forget about back pain and achieve correct posture.

How to perform the “Cat” exercise for the back?

Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders. The center of gravity should be on your knees and palms. Inhale, pull in your stomach and, tilting your head down, stretch your back up as high as possible. Count to eight and inhale as you lower yourself down, then bend your back and lift your head up. After that, repeat everything from the very beginning.

1. In order to achieve maximum effect, it is recommended to include this exercise in your exercises and do it on an empty stomach. If you do eat, then at least 2 hours should pass.
2. It is necessary to make slow and smooth movements that look like waves.

The “Cat” exercise is useful for pregnant women, as it helps stretch the spine and massage the abdominal cavity. At regular training can be improved

Exercise "Cat" good for people with sedentary work, because it copes well with back problems, improves blood circulation, and removes tightness. You will learn better coordination back and abdominal muscles, main benefit- strengthening the core muscles, namely the lumbar region, generally stretches the entire spine. Thanks to the “Cat” exercise, you will prepare for more complex exercises and loads; in itself, it is more of a warm-up.

Thanks to the “Cat” exercise, the transverse abdominal muscle is actively being worked on; when you pull in your stomach, there is an element of the abdominal vacuum exercise; please note that you will not be able to pump up your abs with this exercise.

Initial position

Get on all fours, place your palms on the floor, the distance should be shoulder width apart. The distance between your legs is no more than your fist. Make sure your elbows and knees are directly under your shoulders and hip joints respectively. The position of the lower back and pelvis is neutral.

Technique for performing the “Cat” exercise

Inhale in a neutral position, after which you need to exhale sharply and powerfully, it should sound like “pooh.” At the same time, round your back as much as possible, keeping your pelvis straight and your tailbone pointing down. Pull your stomach in as much as you can, squeeze your buttocks. Your back should look like a wheel or like a wild arched cat, while lowering your head down. After this, return to the starting position, but at the same time bend at the waist, lift your head up so that its direction is 45 degrees, while sticking your pelvis up. Return to a neutral position and only now begin to inhale, it is important that the stomach does not retract, but rather protrudes. Then exhale and begin the “cat” exercise.

• When bending, your head should reach towards your elbows.
• If it hurts top part I recommend doing the “cat” exercise in video 3 for your back.
• Keep your back arched for about 8 seconds.
• You can mentally imagine how you push away someone’s palm while sticking out your back, and when bending, how you try to get away from their touch.
• Once you get used to the “Cat”, try moving your head further back during the backbend.

Errors

• Bend your arms at the elbows.
• Strong throwing of the head back.
• Arching your back while inhaling restricts air flow.
• Exhale using the sound “groin”.

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What makes a healthy and confident person stand out? Right, perfect posture. To achieve this, you must include exercises to strengthen your back in your workouts. If you haven’t played sports at all, then it’s time to start.

A suitable movement is the cat exercise for the back with abdominal swing, which comes from yoga.

It aims to strengthen muscle corset body, namely the spine and abdominal area. By the way, a well-developed abs helps reduce unnecessary stress on the spine during training and in everyday life. Moreover, by performing cat movements, you saturate the entire body with oxygen, get rid of muscle tension and pain, improve immunity and the general condition of the body as a whole.

7 Benefits of Exercise

1. Relieves back pain. Thanks to systematic loads, the back muscles, which were previously stagnant, are exposed to movement, thereby reducing pain.
2. Suitable for pregnant women. Mixture breathing exercises and gradual stretching of the muscles helps mothers feel better and prepare for a successful birth.
3. Suitable for training both experienced athletes and beginners. The training does not require the use of special sports accessories and devices; it can be performed in any conditions and with any degree of athleticism. The main thing is to choose the right load specifically for your body.
4. Tightens the abs and strengthens the back. The main rule of execution is the tension of the abdominal muscles in particular. A static load without any special body movements can create the long-awaited cubes on your body. And if the abs are trained, then the muscular frame of the back becomes stronger.
5. Helps relax the spine and cervical area. A sedentary lifestyle is the cause of various pains and problems in the cervical-vertebral region. Muscles and ligaments are in a tense and stagnant state most of our time. In the cat pose, they seem to open up and acquire a second life.
6. Increases the endurance of the body as a whole. During the implementation of the cat pose, the maximum amount of muscle groups. And as you know, the larger areas of the body are involved at the same time, the greater the “exhaust” from such an activity. Loading up all together, they allow the body to sweat and withstand such pressure. And therefore, it is a natural phenomenon to increase the body’s endurance and resistance to any kind of difficulties.
7. Increases the speed and quality of metabolic processes throughout the body. Thanks to high-quality oxygen saturation, blood circulates throughout the body many times faster and carries all nutrients to the organs that need them.

Technique for performing the classic version

Only by performing the cat exercise for the back according to the exact instructions of the execution technique can you get the correct results that affect your health in a positive way.

How to do the classic version correctly?

1. Place a gymnastic mat/tourist foam/towel on the floor, lower yourself to the floor with emphasis on your knees and straight arms, fingers pointing away from you, back straight;
2. Inhale deeply and push your pelvis inward, keeping your abs tense, your neck down, and your back in a stretched position;
3. As you exhale, stand in a position where your back is well arched in the lower back;
4. Then return to the starting point.

The movement should be repeated 8 to 12 times, gradually gradually increasing the load.

For detailed techniques, watch the video:

3 more types of this movement

In the world of training, there are also several other varieties of this exercise:

1. Japanese cat

When performing this type, the legs are also resting on the knees, but are spaced wider. In this case, the hands rest their elbows on the floor. The deflections themselves are performed in the same way. The difference is that in this position it is better to work out chest area.

2. Sphinx

This time the pelvis should lie completely on the surface. Hands should be placed, with emphasis on the elbows, in front of you. This way, again, the thoracic region of the body is better loaded. This movement is known from yoga, another name for it is “Cobra”.

3. The cat moves its tail

The starting position corresponds to the classic one. But, having made an upward bend, you should make wave-like movements to the side with your pelvis, while your shoulders are also in the same direction and move towards one or the other hip.

Such movements have a beneficial effect on the spine.

Common execution errors

• Be sure to pay attention to your feelings! Excessive pain and strain in the neck and spine should alert you and make you doubt the correct technique. All actions must be at least smooth and slow;
• The knees of the legs should be located exactly under the pelvis and form an angle of 90 degrees with the shins. The palms are clearly placed under the shoulders and straightened at the elbow;
• The stomach must be pulled in during the entire training;
• Help your back in arches: when arching your back upward, try to lower your neck and head as low as possible, twisting it towards your chest; when bending backwards, the crown of the head should stretch upward as much as possible;
• Bending restricts the flow of air from the lungs, so first take a deep breath, then perform bending actions so as not to deprive your body of oxygen;
• There is no need to throw your head back, because this is not only inconsistent with technique, but can also seriously injure your neck;

• When tilting your head, try to keep it as close to your elbows as possible;
• You need to stay at the bending points for about 8 seconds. This is the optimal time for beginners and beginners in sports, but old-timers of training can increase this time period;
• When performing an upward bend, in order to load your back as thoroughly as possible, imagine that you are trying to push someone's hand away from you. Bending down, trying to dodge an unpleasant touch;
• It is better to perform the exercise on an empty stomach or at least a few hours after eating.

By including a cat in your usual workout or training morning exercises, You will save yourself from hated pain, give yourself royal posture and at the same time limitless self-confidence.

Unfortunately, every year everything appears more people who in one way or another experience pain in the back area. The main reason is physical inactivity (sedentary lifestyle) and scoliosis (curvature of the spine). You can forget about back pain and even improve your posture if you do various exercises. We will talk about one of them in more detail in this article.

Features of the "Cat" exercise

It was originally used in yoga. Nowadays it is quite common in fitness and physical therapy. The peculiarity of the “Cat” or “Dog” exercise (a less common name) is that it can safely and effectively affect the entire body. Firstly, with the help of this exercise you can reduce pain in the back. Secondly, the “Cat” exercise for the spine has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the respiratory system. Therefore, those who often suffer from bronchitis or who have reduced immunity are also recommended to pay attention to “Kitty”.

What muscles work?

When performing the exercise, all the back muscles, the rectus abdominis muscle, as well as the external and internal oblique muscles are involved.

Beneficial properties of the exercise

Of course, when performing any set of exercises, you are primarily interested in the effect it gives. The "Cat" exercise has a number of advantages. Which ones? More about this below.

How to do the exercise correctly?

Take your starting position.

1. To do this, you need to get on the mat on all fours.
2. Arms should be extended, palms pressed firmly to the floor surface. Fingers point forward.
3. Bend your legs at a right angle. Make sure the load is evenly distributed between your knees and palms.

After taking the correct position, you can begin the exercise.

1. Exhale deeply while drawing in your stomach. Arch your back upward, lower your head. Try to stretch your back up as high as possible. Make sure your abdominal muscles are tense.
2. Remaining in this position, count to eight. After taking a deep breath, slowly return to the starting position. Relax.
3. Inhale again. But this time arch your back in the opposite direction. The head should be raised. The pectoral muscles and abdomen are stretched during this process.
4. Also, after counting to eight, exhale and return to the starting position.

Repeat the "Cat" exercise for the back 5-10 times. Let's consider another option for performing "Cats" in the classic variation.

To perform the exercise, lean on your palms and knees. Lowering your head and pelvis down, arch your lower back upward. Remaining in this position, count to ten. Then lower your pelvis onto your heels. Your arms should remain extended on the floor. Rest your head on your hands, doing an asana, which in yoga is called child's pose. Relax. Do two or three repetitions.

Exercise options

Along with the classic "Kitty" there are other variations. Among the most popular are the following:

1. Japanese "Cat".
2. "Sphynx cat"
3. "The cat moves its tail."

Let's look at how to do the "Cat" exercises in more detail.

"Sphynx cat"

Get on your knees.

1. You need to rest your elbows on the floor. They should be parallel to the shoulders.
2. Point your hands forward.
3. Alternately take deep breaths and exhales.
4. This type of exercise, putting stress on the thoracic spine, will be useful for those who suffer from bronchial diseases.

Japanese "Cat"

1. Kneeling, sit with your pelvis on your heels.
2. Place your hands near your knees.
3. Lean your torso slightly forward.
4. This variation of the “Cat” exercise will help work out the lumbar-thoracic region.

"The cat moves its tail"

1. Take the starting position, as in the classic version.
2. Bend at the waist.
3. Perform pelvic movements to the right and left.
4. At the same time, bend your spine from side to side.

First, about the general rule. When performing any back exercise, the actions should be smooth. Everything is done at a slow pace. No jerking! The correct position in the exercise is important.

The starting position implies a clear positioning of the knees parallel to the pelvis, and the palms parallel to the shoulders. The abdominal muscles should be tense throughout the exercise.

• To better arch your back, lift your head as high as possible.
• As you arch and arch your spine, hold the position for about eight to ten seconds.
• When tilting your head down, try to point it as close to your elbows as possible.
• It is best to perform the “Cat” exercise on an empty stomach. You can do it every morning. If you train in the evenings, then wait a few hours after eating and then start exercising.

Common Mistakes

When performing the exercise, you need to listen to your body. At correct technique There should be no pain in the neck and spine. If you feel pain, you should stop exercising.

• Jerking is another common mistake. Making sudden movements can cause serious injury to the vertebrae.
• Bent knees and elbows. When performing the exercise, your arms should be straight. And the knees of the legs should form a right angle with the shins.
• When describing the exercise, it is indicated when it is necessary to inhale and exhale. Failure to comply with these rules is also quite common. The fact is that sagging restricts the flow of air from the lungs. So before you do the backbend, take a deep breath.
• No need to throw your head back. First of all, there is no need to do this at all. And secondly, you risk getting a neck injury.

Once again about the exercise "Cat"

As you can see, it is very effective. Requires a minimum of effort, but gives amazing results. Include the “Cat” exercise in your workout routine and you won’t regret it. After all, by doing it at least every other day, you will see the results of your training within two weeks.