Back · Bodyweight
Hug Knees To Chest
How to do the hug knees to chest, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Timed hold
- Movement
- Core Hold
- Mechanic
- Mobility
How to do it
Lie on your back and draw both knees into your chest. Wrap your arms around your shins or behind your thighs and gently pull the legs closer while keeping your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed on the floor. Breathe into the position and hold before easing back out.
- 1Feel a gentle release through your lower back and glutes as both knees come toward your chest
- 2Keep your shoulders soft and your breathing slow so the position feels restorative rather than tense
- 3Draw the knees in only as far as you can without your tailbone aggressively curling off the floor
Common mistakes
- Don't yank on your knees or compress your hips into a painful range
- Avoid tensing your neck or lifting your shoulders as you hold the stretch
- Don't hold your breath; relaxed breathing helps the stretch do its job
Muscles worked
The hug knees to chest mainly works the lower back, with the glutes assisting.
- Lower BackPrimary
- GlutesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- HamstringsMinor
Kovo programs the hug knees to chest for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More back exercises
- How to do the archer pull-up
- How to do the resistance band assisted pull-up
- How to do the machine assisted pull-up
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the machine back extension
- How to do the back lever
Last reviewed April 2026.