We’ve been working on building strength in the shoulders and back through plank and chattaranga (press-up), down dog and cobra. Purvottanasana (or up dog) is often called the counter pose to press-ups because it stretches the muscles across your chest, front of your shoulders and into your upper and fore-arms. Try it and see where you feel the stretch.
Here are three variations from easy progressing to more challenging, stop if your shoulders hurt at any point. It’s a stretch, not a strain!
- Start sitting on the floor with your feet hip-width apart, flat on the floor and just forward of your hips.
- Put your hands on the floor behind you. Palms down with fingers pointing forward. If this is uncomfortable, you can try turning your fingers out.
- For the first version, just press down through your hands, push your chest forward and up and let your shoulders come down away from your ears and slightly back. Think of having good posture, not pinching your shoulders back.
- Stay here if this is enough stretch.
Option 2:
- For more intense stretch, keep the action in your hands, arms, chest and shoulders but now try lifting your hips up, press your feet into the floor. When your hips come up, your ankles should be directly under your knees and hands directly under shoulders. You may have to bring your hips down to move your feet forward.
- Begin to gently lift your chin and nose up (in the photo I’m tucking my chin down too tightly – avoid this and find a more neutral position for your neck).
Option 3:
- For the last version, bring your hips back down. Sit with your legs straight out in front of you and hands behind you as they were. Again, press through your hands, lift your chest and let your shoulders ease down. Then rock over your heels to press your toes to the floor and lift your hips.
- Again, relax the neck and lift the chin and nose lift up.
Now, come back down. Try these variations again and notice the action in your legs? Finally, roll over on to your belly and try a press-up to notice the difference between the two postures.
The opposite to a press-up (stretch chest and shoulders)
