Back · Bodyweight
Sitting Cat Cow Pose
How to do the sitting cat cow pose, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit tall on a chair or the floor with your hands resting on your thighs or knees. Arch your back and lift your chest while drawing your shoulders back for the cow position, then round your spine and tuck your chin for the cat position. Flow slowly between the two, moving with your breath.
- 1Your spine moving segment by segment as you arch and round
- 2A gentle stretch across your upper back in the rounded position
- 3Your chest opening as you extend into the arch
Common mistakes
- Do not force the range; let the spine move smoothly
- Avoid shrugging your shoulders up by your ears
- Do not hold your breath; pair each phase with a breath
Muscles worked
The sitting cat cow pose mainly works the lower back, with the lower abs assisting.
- Lower BackPrimary
- Lower AbsSupport
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the sitting cat cow pose 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 June 2026.