> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://movement.mantavyam.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Downward dog
> Beginner · Static · Bilateral. Flexibility
Also known as: Adho Mukha Svanasana.
| | |
| - | - |
| **Difficulty** | Beginner |
| **Velocity** | Static |
| **Symmetry** | Bilateral |
| **Athlete** | Stacy |
| **Video length** | 25 s |
## Technique
1. Start on all fours, curl the toes under and lift the hips up and back, lifting off the knees and straightening the legs.
2. Keep the arms straight, and distribute the weight evenly between the arms and legs.
3. You’re looking for an upside down “V” position.
4. This is likely a stretch for the hamstrings and will feel like a lot of upper body weight.
5. Keep the breath steady and the head in line with the spine, or even tuck the chin a bit.
## Form tips
* For tight hamstrings, bend the knees in favor of a straight spine, or lift the heels off the floor and lengthen the legs as much as possible.
* Avoid dropping the chest toward the knees and hyperextending the shoulders. Keep the upper arms externally rotated.
* Press evenly across the whole palm of the hand.
## Muscles
Flexibility
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Legs
- Chest
- Back
## Equipment
## Appears in
## Progressions
Novice
Novice
Intermediate
Intermediate
Novice
Novice
Novice
Novice
Intermediate
Novice
Novice
Intermediate
Novice
Intermediate
## Regressions
Beginner
Beginner
Beginner
Beginner
Beginner
Novice
Beginner
Beginner
Want to log this exercise? Open it in [Calistree](https://calistree.app/datasheet/downward-dog-e037). Text and images are used under [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/); the video plays from the original source.
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