Cat-cow and spinal waves are T1 in the mobility series — the daily foundation movement that keeps the entire spine mobile, feeds into every other mobility drill, and takes less than 2 minutes. They’re not a warm-up. They’re a mobility practice that most adults need to undo years of spinal stiffness from sitting, non-movement, and loading patterns that never take the spine through its full range.
Basic Cat-Cow
On hands and knees (quadruped position). Cat: exhale, round your entire spine toward the ceiling — tailbone tucked, lower back rounded, mid-back arched, upper back rounded, chin tucked. Hold briefly. Cow: inhale, drop your belly toward the floor, lift your tailbone and head, extend your entire spine. Hold briefly. Alternate continuously for 10 reps.
Adding the Wave
Rather than moving the entire spine simultaneously, initiate the movement from one end and let it travel: start from the tailbone (pelvis tilts), then the lumbar follows, then the thoracic, then the cervical. A segmental wave traveling from the tailbone to the head, and back. This requires you to feel each section of your spine individually — which is the entire point. Sections that feel “stuck” are sections to focus on.
Why This Matters for the Progression
The handstand requires a mobile thoracic spine. The dragon flag requires segmental spinal control. The Jefferson curl requires spinal articulation under load. Cat-cow and spinal waves train the motor pattern of spinal segmentation that makes all of these possible.
Move. Groove. Repeat. Smooth.
A daily practice — not a scheduled post. Connect to everything.
Move. Groove. Repeat. Smooth.
You're on your way. And we're here with you.