Seal To Puppy Pose
Seal To Puppy Pose Exercise Description
Seal to Puppy Pose is a gentle, bodyweight mobility flow that moves from prone spinal extension (Seal) to an all-fours overhead reach (Puppy). In Seal, you press up from the floor to open the front of the body while the spinal extensors work isometrically and the shoulder blades stay depressed and slightly retracted for stability. Transitioning to Puppy, you keep hips stacked over knees and reach the arms long to emphasize shoulder flexion and thoracic opening, lengthening the lats and chest while maintaining control through the trunk. Alternating these shapes explores comfortable end ranges for the spine and shoulders with steady breathing and smooth movement. Keep the pelvis heavy in Seal to reduce lumbar compression, and keep the ribs gently drawn in during Puppy to avoid collapsing into the lower back. Move slowly, within a pain-free range, and maintain a long, neutral neck throughout.
- Muscle Groups: Lats
- Target Muscles: Latissimus Dorsi
- Assisting Muscles: Teres Major
- Stabilizing Muscles: Iliocostalis, Longissimus, Rhomboid Major, Trapezius - Lower Fibers, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Back, Mid Back
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Stretching
- Functional Grouping: Shoulder Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Lats
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Seal To Puppy Pose Exercise
‘- Lie prone with legs hip-width, tops of feet on the floor, and forehead down.
– Place hands slightly wider than shoulders and slightly forward; spread fingers.
– Press palms, straighten elbows, and lift your sternum into Seal. Draw shoulders down/back, keep pelvis heavy, ribs lightly in, gaze forward (neck long).
– Breathe steadily; feel even pressure through both hands without shrugging.
– Lower your chest with control back to the floor.
– Push to hands-and-knees. Knees under hips, toes untucked or tucked as comfortable.
– Walk hands forward shoulder-width for Puppy. Keep hips stacked over knees.
– Rotate upper arms so elbow pits face up; reach long through fingertips.
– Let chest and forehead move toward the floor while maintaining neutral lumbar (avoid sagging).
– Keep lower ribs gently engaged, broaden collarbones, and breathe into the sides of the ribcage.
– To transition back, shift forward to all fours, lower to prone, and set up for the next Seal with control.
Seal To Puppy Pose Tips
‘- In Seal setup, lie prone with legs hip-width, tops of feet on the floor, and forehead down before pressing up.
– In Seal, press palms firmly, straighten elbows, and lift your sternum while drawing shoulders down and back.
– Keep your pelvis heavy in Seal to reduce lumbar compression as you open the front of the body.
– Maintain a long, neutral neck throughout, with a forward gaze in Seal and no craning in Puppy.
– Breathe steadily and move smoothly, staying within a pain-free range as you alternate between Seal and Puppy.
– On hands-and-knees, keep knees directly under hips and then maintain hips stacked over knees as you walk the hands forward into Puppy.
– In Puppy, rotate upper arms so elbow pits face up and reach long through the fingertips to emphasize shoulder flexion.
– Let the chest and forehead move toward the floor in Puppy while keeping the lumbar spine neutral (avoid sagging).
– Gently draw the lower ribs in and broaden the collarbones in Puppy to prevent collapsing into the lower back.
– Transition between prone, all fours, Seal, and Puppy with control, lowering and shifting your weight smoothly.
Seal To Puppy Pose Beginner Introduction
Seal to Puppy Pose is a floor-based mobility sequence that links a gentle backbend while lying on the front of the body with a reaching position on hands and knees. In the Seal phase, the arms support the lift of the chest, the front of the body unfolds, and the muscles along the spine stay active without much movement. The shoulder blades settle down and slightly inward, giving the upper body a feeling of strength and support while breathing stays calm and even.
As the flow transitions toward the Puppy shape, weight shifts to a tabletop stance with knees under the hips and arms stretching forward. This creates a long line from hands to tailbone, highlighting overhead arm motion, opening through the upper back, and a broad, spacious sensation across the chest and sides of the back. Gentle engagement around the midsection and a grounded pelvis support the lower spine, while a relaxed, lengthened neck ties the two poses together into a smooth, controlled rhythm.