Welcome to our weekly Move of the Week series. Every Monday, we’ll be sharing with you one of our favourite exercises – how to do them, what muscles they work and why they should be a regular part of your workout regime. This week: cowface pose.
Name a better feeling than a big stretch after a desk day? We bet you can’t. But giving up a whole hour of our evening to a yoga practice isn’t always achievable. Luckily, cowface pose is here to condense the elongating and refreshing benefits of a class into just one pose.
By stretching both the front and the back at once, the pose can help elevate the tension and tightness after a sedentary day. And because it works each side at once, you can tune into your body to notice imbalances –the perfect way to get out of your emails after a long day.
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What is cowface pose?
The cowface pose is a slightly complicated-looking stretch, but essentially it involves sitting back on your crossed legs to really
This exercise is great because:
It stretches the front of the thighs: when we sit down all day the hip flexors shorter and the quads can get tight, so stretching them is key.
It works into the back of the body: the twisted position helps loosen tight glutes and lower back to ease pain.
It’s unilateral: meaning it works one side at a time – helpful for noticing and repairing imbalances.
What muscles does a cowface pose work?
The cowface pose mainly targets the lower body, including:
- Quads
- Hip flexors
- Psoas
- Lower back
- Glutes
- Hip adductors
- Hip abductors
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How to do a cowface pose
- Begin in a cross-legged downward facing dog – with your left leg crossed over your right leg.
- Lower your knees towards the floor and squeeze your heels in towards your glutes.
- Place your calves down on the ground behind you and push your hips back towards your heels, allowing your hands to come off the floor in front of you.
- Stay in this position until you are ready to switch sides.
Images: Stylist
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