Abdominals Stretch Variation One

What you'll gain

• Releases tension in the front of the core after heavy ab training.

• Opens up the chest and improves overhead posture.

• Resets the breath and prepares the body for the next exercise.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Lie face down with your legs extended, forearms on the floor, elbows beneath the shoulders, and palms planted.

2. 2

   Press through your hands and begin lifting your chest as your elbows move away from the floor.

3. 3

   Continue straightening your arms into a comfortable cobra-style position while keeping your hips and thighs grounded.

4. 4

   Draw your shoulders down away from your ears and breathe slowly into the stretch across the abdomen.

5. 5

   Bend your elbows to lower with control until your forearms return to the floor.

6. 6

   Repeat through the same smooth forearm-to-extended-arm path without forcing the height.

Common Mistakes

• Forcing the back bend with your shoulders instead of letting the chest lead — this strains the lower back without stretching the abs.

• Holding your breath through the stretch, which tightens the core and works against the lengthening you're after.

• Rushing in and out of the position rather than easing in slowly — the stretch needs time under tension to release.

• Dropping the head too far back, putting needless pressure on the neck instead of the abdominal wall.

About This Exercise

This prone abdominal stretch moves from forearm support into a cobra-style press-up, using controlled spinal extension to open the front of the core. The gradual rise lets the rectus abdominis, obliques, and hip flexor complex lengthen as the arms extend. For app and content use, this clip earns its place in recovery flows, mobility programs, and yoga-adjacent stretching content. The floor position and clear change from forearms to extended arms remain easy to read in guided cooldowns and exercise libraries.

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