Core · Bodyweight
Spine Backbend Stretch
How to do the spine backbend stretch, 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
Lie face down with your hands flat under your shoulders. Press through your hands to lift your chest off the floor, straightening your arms as comfortable while keeping your hips down, then hold and feel the stretch through the front of your torso.
- 1Feel a stretch through your abs and the front of your hips as your chest
- 2lifts
- 3Keep your shoulders pulled down away from your ears and your neck long
- 4Press the floor away and lengthen your spine rather than crunching into your lower back
Common mistakes
- Do not jam your head back or shrug your shoulders up to your ears
- Avoid pushing into sharp pinching pain in the lower back
- Do not let your hips pop up off the floor; keep them grounded
Muscles worked
The spine backbend stretch mainly works the lower abs, with the upper abs, lower back, and hip flexors assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- TricepsMinor
- Upper ChestMinor
- Mid ChestMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- GlutesMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the spine backbend stretch 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 abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.