What is Cat Camel?
Cat Camel is an easy bodyweight spinal mobility exercise performed from a quadruped position that gently mobilizes the back and thoracic spine, targeting the back muscles and improving spinal flexibility and posture. It's ideal for beginners and helps reduce stiffness before workouts or daily movement.
How to Do Cat Camel
- Get into quadruped: Kneel with hands under shoulders and knees under hips, spine neutral, eyes down; distribute weight evenly through palms and knees to stabilize.
- Perform Camel (round): Exhale, push into your hands, tuck the tailbone and draw the belly up to round the spine, pausing at the top while keeping arms straight.
- Hold and breathe: Hold the rounded position for one to two deep breaths, moving only through the spine; avoid shoulder shrugging or collapsing into the chest.
- Perform Cat (arch): Inhale, tilt the pelvis forward and lift the chest and gaze upward to create an arched spine, keeping triceps engaged and arms straight.
- Return and repeat: Return slowly to neutral, reset breathing, and repeat for eight to twelve smooth, controlled repetitions, stopping immediately if you feel pain or sharp discomfort.
Muscle Groups
Back
Description
Start in a quadruped position, hands under the shoulders & knees under the hips, spine neutral.Camel - Push away from the floor, tuck your tailbone & shorten your core, allowing your spine to curve upward. Pause in the top position, getting your spine to round as much as possible.
Cat - Then reverse the motion, tilting you pelvis forward, looking upward & creating an arch in your spine. Pause in this bottom position. Then return to neutral & repeat for repetitions.
Note : The goal is to mobilise the spine, you should feel any discomfort or pressure at any point. Keep the arms straight, triceps engaged.
Movement Group
Mobility
Required Equipment
None (bodyweight only)
Progressions and Regressions
None
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of Cat Camel?
Cat Camel improves spinal mobility, reduces stiffness, and enhances thoracic flexibility. It also promotes better posture, warms the core and back for workouts, and provides a low-impact way to relieve mild tension between vertebrae.
What are common mistakes doing Cat Camel?
Common mistakes include moving too fast, forcing range of motion, using the neck instead of the spine, shrugging shoulders, and holding the breath. Focus on slow, controlled spinal movement and keep arms straight to avoid compensations.
How can I progress or modify Cat Camel?
Modify by doing smaller or shallower ranges if you have pain, or elevate hands on a bench for easier wrist position. Progress with slower controlled reps, added holds, or complementary thoracic mobility drills and gentle weighted carries for stability work.