FitnessWorkouts

5 Benefits of Downward Dog That Go Beyond Better Flexibility

The benefits of downward dog include better posture, mobility, and strength. Read on to learn more, according to yoga experts.

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Photo: Getty Images/ Cavan Images
Published Mar 28, 2024

Written by 

Kelsey Kloss

The downward dog pose—also known as downward-facing dog, down dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana in Sanskrit—is perhaps one of the most recognizable in yoga practices. Although it’s often associated with flexibility, the benefits go far beyond that.

Experts in This Article

Elena Cheung

certified yoga medicine therapeutic specialist and teacher at YogaWorks

Lindsay Monal

certified yoga and sound meditation expert at YogaRenew

“Downward-facing dog is the most popular yoga pose for a reason,” says Lindsay Monal, RYT-500, certified yoga and sound meditation expert at YogaRenew. “It’s such a powerful and foundational posture to help stretch and strengthen the body, with the added benefit of supporting mental health too.”

Here’s everything you need to know about this yoga pose, including how to do it correctly and the benefits you’ll reap from it.

How to do downward dog perfectly every time

To get the most benefits out of your downward dog, it’s important to do it correctly. Follow these steps from Monal to try it at home.

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Photo: Getty Images/FatCamera
  1. 1.
    Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position.
  2. 2.
    Spread your fingers wide and press through your thumb and your index fingers.
  3. 3.
    Engage your core muscles.
  4. 4.
    As you inhale, tuck your toes and lift your knees up to straighten the legs.
  5. 5.
    Lengthen your tailbone up toward the sky so your body forms an inverted “V” position.
  6. 6.
    Bring your feet shoulder-distance apart and engage your quadriceps (the muscles at the front of your thighs).
  7. 7.
    Allow your biceps to frame your ears.
  8. 8.
    Press your heels toward the ground. Your heels can come lower to the mat, depending on your hamstring and calf flexibility.
  9. 9.
    Fully extend your arms and allow your neck to be a natural extension of the spine.
  10. 10.
    Bring your gaze to your ankles.
  11. 11.
    Hold for several breaths before releasing back to the ground.

Benefits of downward dog that’ll convince you to add it to your yoga practice

Perhaps the most well-known benefit of practicing downward dog is its ability to improve your flexibility.

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“Downward dog opens up the back of the legs, including the hamstrings, calves, and Achilles,” says Elena Cheung, E-RYT 500, a certified yoga medicine therapeutic specialist and teacher at YogaWorks.

It also stretches your back and shoulders.

“This can be especially helpful for individuals who spend a lot of time sitting or typing and who feel tension or stiffness in these areas,” Monal says.

However, the perks of practicing this pose don’t stop there. Here are five more benefits of a downward dog that go beyond flexibility.

1. It increases your strength

Downward dog pose can also be an effective strength exercise.

“With downward dog, you’re getting the added benefit of strengthening your wrists, arms, shoulders, and legs,” Monal says. “It’s really a full-body stretch, and holding this posture asks your body to engage important muscle groups in the arms and legs essential for everyday tasks and long-term mobility.”

Yoga in general showed moderately positive effects on muscle strength, balance, mobility, and lower-body flexibility in a November 2021 meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1.

2. It improves your mobility

On the note mobility, downward dog can help you flow through essential movements in everyday life.

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“Because we’re also bearing weight on the wrists, we’re increasing bone density in the arms and cultivating the ability to get up from the ground with ease,” Monal says. “That’s an ability that’s especially important as we age.”

Downward dog also helps to target other small muscles that help you with daily tasks.

“It strengthens and stretches all the little muscles in your feet,” Cheung says. “This can be helpful for how you feel when walking and going about your day.”

3. It boosts circulation

Downward dog helps to get your blood flowing, making it a welcome pick-me-up if you’ve been sitting at your desk for hours.

“It improves circulation and stimulates blood flow, as your head is lower than your heart,” Cheung says.

Inverted postures like downward dog can promote healthy blood circulation to the brain, per a September 2019 review in the Journal of Yoga and Physiotherapy2. Overall, yoga can benefit your entire circulation, from the production of blood to improved blood supply to your heart muscles.

4. It’s great for your posture

Practicing downward dog can also help you improve your posture, potentially leading to other health benefits like easier breathing.

“If you notice sitting at a computer all day is ruining your posture, downward facing dog can help with that too,” Monal says. “In the shape, we’re working to strengthen the muscles in the core and back body responsible for helping us sit upright.”

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Downward dog also helps to open up the muscles that tend to get constricted as you hunch toward a screen.

“It can improve posture by opening up the chest and shoulders,” Cheung says.

5. It helps you focus

Although it will take some practice, you may start to consider downward dog to be a peaceful pause in your yoga practice.

“Once you get comfortable with it, it’s seen as a resting posture that helps to quiet the mind and leave you feeling more focused, relaxed, and alert,” Monal says.

In yoga practice, inversions like downward dog are believed to bring life force energy or “prana” up to the crown of the head.

“In doing this, a down dog helps prepare our bodies for meditation, stilling the fluctuations of the mind and preparing us to sit comfortably in a meditative seat where we can connect deeper with ourselves and all that is,” Monal says.

“It’s really a full-body stretch, and holding this posture asks your body to engage important muscle groups in the arms and legs essential for everyday tasks and long-term mobility.” —Lindsay Monal, RYT-500

Muscles worked during a downward dog

Downward-facing dog is a full-body pose with several muscles involved for strength and stability. Here are key muscles that are worked during a downward dog, according to Monal.

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Upper body

  • Deltoids: These shoulder muscles stabilize your arms in downward dog.
  • Triceps: Located on the back of your upper arms, these help to hold you up through the extension of your arms.
  • Trapezius: Found around your upper back and neck, these muscles stabilize your shoulder blades.

Core and back

  • Rectus abdominis: This is the primary muscle of your abdomen that stabilizes your torso and pelvis in downward dog.
  • Transverse abdominis: This deep core muscle helps to support your spine.
  • Obliques: Located on the sides of your torso, these engage to help maintain stability.
  • Erector spinae: These muscles of your lower back engage to help support and stabilize your spine.

Lower body

  • Hamstrings: Located at the back of your thighs, these lengthen and engage to lift your hips and elongate your spine in downward dog.
  • Gastrocnemius and soleus: These calf muscles engage to help stabilize your ankles and support the weight of your body.

Common downward dog mistakes

Practice makes progress when it comes to a downward dog—and all other yoga poses. Here are mistakes to avoid when you’re in this pose.

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1. You keep your legs stick-straight

It’s okay for your knees to bend slightly in downward dog.

“Focusing too much on stick-straight legs can force rounding in the back and shoulders, so you look more like an upside-down ‘U’ shape,” Cheung says. “Bend your knees to elongate your spine.”

Remember: The goal of downward dog is not to have perfectly straight legs, but rather to lengthen your spine.

2. You over-lengthen your spine

On that note, it is possible to over-lengthen your spine. If you do so, you may put too much load on your lower back.

“Ideally, the spine should be long and in a relatively neutral extended position, where the pelvis and rib cage are in the right relationship to each other and the front ribs aren’t splaying out—nor the low back overarched,” Monal says.

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3. You force your heels down

Your heels don’t need to be touching the ground for an effective downward dog.

“Direct your heels to the floor without being forceful, but mostly just let them lift off the floor if needed,” Cheung says. “Everyone’s body and ankle mobility is different. Overly focusing on pressing the heels down can take away from the efficacy of the pose.”

4. You glue your fingers together

Keep your fingers spread on the mat, like a big high-five.

“Think about spreading your weight evenly through the four corners of your palm, especially the space between your thumbs and pointer fingers,” Monal says. “This will reduce pressure in the wrists and make the shape more comfortable as you really work to press the ground away.”

This will also help to avoid inactive hands, which put more pressure on your wrist joints.

“If your hands keep doing the cupcake shape, try a wider stance between your hands and a slight turn out of the fingers,” Cheung says.

5. You round your spine

Bend your knees, push through your hands, and work toward a longer spine and shoulder connection to avoid a rounded spine.

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“This one may just come with time if your shoulders are very tight,” Cheung says. (These stretches for tight shoulders might help, too!)

As you do so, make sure your shoulders don’t hunch forward.

“You want to think about the shoulders drawing together a bit and the chest feeling open and free, as opposed to being rounded or constricted,” Monal says.

Finally, make sure you aren’t carrying tension in your neck.

“Let your head hang heavy, instead of lifting it up,” Cheung says. “Downward dog is one of the best poses to soften tension in the neck as it dangles.”

Tips and precautions for downward dog

Always listen to your own body when practicing this posture. If you feel a sharp or shooting pain, don’t continue in the position.

“If you feel pain, consider other options like tabletop or child’s pose,” Cheung says. “Those with shoulder, ankle, hamstring, or wrist injuries should move mindfully into a down dog and pay attention to how they feel.”

Because your heart is higher than your head in this position, talk to your doctor before trying this pose if you have high blood pressure or related conditions. You should also speak to a doctor if you have certain injuries that cause pain in a downward dog. Some modifications may be possible to help you feel more comfortable.

“For students with knee issues and injuries, keep your knees bent or slightly bent,” Monal says. “It’s perfectly okay if your heels don’t touch the ground.”

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Meanwhile, if you have wrist issues or injuries, focus on pressing up through your thumb and forefingers. Make sure your fingers are spread wide on the mat.

“You can also try to elevate your wrists to take pressure off them,” Monal says. “This can be done by placing a folded blanket under the wrists.”

Finally, for shoulder issues and pain, bring your hands and shoulders out a bit wider to reduce strain.

With the right form, you can reap the benefits of doing a downward dog daily—or even multiple times per day (if doing so doesn’t cause you discomfort or pain).

“It doesn’t just have to be during a yoga practice,” Cheung says. “In fact, I do down dogs in the morning, at night, or when my body feels stiff.”

  1. Shin S. Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Yoga Practice on Physical Fitness in the Elderly. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Nov 6;18(21):11663. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182111663. PMID: 34770176; PMCID: PMC8583600.

    ↩︎

  2. Emina Panjeta, Mirsad Panjeta, Amela Dervišević, Jozo Ćorić. Effect of Yoga Exercise on Circulatory System. J Yoga & Physio. 2019; 8(1): 555726. DOI: 10.19080/JYP.2019.08.555726

    ↩︎

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FitnessWorkouts

Adult Ballet is on the Rise—And Yes, You Should Totally Try it

Here's what to know before your first class.

Published Feb 26, 2025

Written by 

Lauren Wingenroth

Maybe it's the reemergence of balletcore, or maybe we're all just trying to discover our inner child, but ballet classes for adults are majorly on the rise. 

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Former Miami City Ballet dancer Miriam Landis has seen the adult ballet boom firsthand in her adult beginner classes at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle. “My classes have grown up to the point where I’ll have 50 people in one class,” she says. “Especially since COVID, people really have this need for connection and shared sense of purpose. It’s really different from going to an exercise class—it’s a little bit of a meditation.” 

While many adults are finding community, creativity and purpose in ballet classes, there can also be an intimidation factor. After all, it’s an art form often depicted as elite and exclusive. But Landis says the vibe of most adult classes couldn’t be further from the cutthroat worlds of Center Stage or Black Swan. 

“People do feel like it has an exclusive aura,” she says. “But we’re really trying to include rather than exclude. I’ve had students say they were always too scared to come, but they were so glad they did. When people discover it, it really becomes something meaningful in their life.”

Inspired to hit the ballet barre? Here’s what veteran teachers and adult ballet regulars think you should know before you go, plus the benefits you can expect to get out of ballet as an adult. 

What to know before your first adult ballet class

“Beginner” doesn’t always mean beginner.

Confusingly, just because a class is labeled “beginner” doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for first timers, says Landis. Instead, look for classes called “absolute beginner” or “fundamentals” to learn the basics. “It’s like a language,” says Landis. “It’s not like a yoga class where you can go in and follow along.” 

If you aren’t sure, call the studio to ask if a class is intended for first timers. Or, some studios will even let you observe a class before you try it, says Dawn Hillen, who teaches absolute beginner ballet at The Ailey Extension in New York City. “Go see the teacher, and watch how they interact with the students,” she says. “That’s the single best way to know if it’s a good fit for you.”

It isn’t a fitness class.

Yes, ballet is a form of exercise. But a ballet class is not a fitness class. Plenty of first timers come in with that mindset, only to have their understanding deepen over time, says Landis. “There’s a real artistic aspect to it that doesn’t exist in an exercise class,” she says. “You’re going to be thinking about every part of your body, not just executing a step, but how you execute the step; the quality of it.” (FYI: Though barre classes often claim to be ballet-inspired, real ballet classes are actually very different.) 

Expect your ballet teacher to speak in metaphors and imagery more than you may be used to. (For instance, Landis might tell students to hold their hand as if they have “a million diamonds on their fingers.”) There’s also the focus on moving to the music, and on performing for an imagined audience. “Everything is taught based on how your audience is going to receive it,” Landis says. “How are you going to offer your cheek to the person sitting in the third ring so that what you’re projecting reaches them?” 

Though you’ll likely gain strength, coordination and flexibility from a ballet practice, ultimately ballet is about learning a craft, says Landis. 

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You don’t have to splurge on leotards—unless you want to.

If your adult ballet dreams involve a leotard, pink tights and a ballet skirt, that’s great. Hillen says for some students, feeling like they look the part enhances their experience. But if you don’t feel comfortable in traditional ballet attire—or you don’t want to spend money for an activity you aren’t sure you’ll stick with—she says anything you can move in is fine to wear. Form-fitting activewear is ideal, she says, so that teachers can see the alignment of your body, but she understands that some beginners might feel better in looser clothes. 

Shoes are a different story. Street shoes are typically not allowed in dance studios, so you’ll either want to invest in ballet shoes (jazz shoes are also fine, says Hillen) or wear socks. But be aware that socks can be slippery, says Landis, who often sends new dancers to the school’s lost and found to try and find a pair that’ll work for them.

Be respectful, but don’t worry too much about “ballet etiquette.” 

If you’ve watched enough ballet movies, you may be familiar with the concept that ballet culture contains countless unspoken rules and etiquette norms. While there’s some truth to that, in the low-stakes world of an adult ballet class, you don’t need to worry about much that isn’t common sense or similar to what you’d encounter in a fitness class.

For instance, you’ll be in close proximity to others, so be mindful about personal hygiene and not wearing heavy perfumes, suggests Landis. Arrive early, try to avoid having to leave and reenter the class, and keep your phone in your bag and on silent. 

Spatial awareness is key: Avoid standing too close to anyone else, or standing directly in front of anyone while working in the center of the room. Landis says that it’s common for regulars to use the same barre spot during every class, so it’s a nice courtesy to ask someone if a spot is available before parking yourself there. And when you’re doing steps that travel across the floor, “maintain the traffic pattern, even if you mess up the steps,” says Hillen. “If you come to a dead stop and people are traveling behind you, people can get injured.”

It’s customary to thank your teacher (and pianist, if there is one) at the end of class, but Hillen recommends also saying hello before class begins, to introduce yourself, explain that you’re new, and flag any injuries you may have. 

Embrace the corrections. 

Unlike in a yoga class, where you may get one or two hands-on adjustments, or a fitness class, where the coach may give some general form suggestions, in ballet, teachers give individualized corrections near-constantly. 

When a teacher gives you a correction, rather than dwelling on the fact that you’re doing something wrong, try to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow, says Hillen. Often, she says, teachers give corrections because they see potential and they want to help you reach it. “If a teacher turns their eye to you, it’s a gift,” she says. That said, if you feel the environment of the class is such that corrections aren’t well-intended or are making you uncomfortable, you may want to find a teacher who is a better fit for you.

“I always tell students that they can mess up in front of me; that this is a safe space and I’m here to support their journey,” says Landis. “Even if teachers aren’t skilled at communicating that, their role is to help you learn the skill you’re there to learn.” 

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The benefits of adult ballet classes 

Practicing ballet as an adult has myriad benefits, depending on what you’re hoping to get out of it. First, there’s the physical: A ballet class is a form of anaerobic exercise, says Hillen, meaning there will be short bursts of movement that get you huffing and puffing, followed by rest as you learn the next combination. She says ballet also develops strength, flexibility, mobility, coordination, balance and good posture. 

There are also the mental benefits, she says, like greater spatial and body awareness. “You’re constantly being asked to remember new things,” Hillen says. “So you’re making a healthier brain by learning something quickly and producing it physically.”

For Beverly Lippman, a regular at Hillen’s class, ballet helps her “focus on the moment,” she says. “Everything else goes away. It’s a very restorative space.” Landis agrees. “The ability to slow down, listen to music, be in your body and be present is incredibly valuable,” she says. “That is so missing from our general lifestyle.” 

Often, adult ballet classes are highly social, welcoming spaces, says Adrienne Chan, who takes Landis’ class at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. “I’ve made a lot of friends—it’s been wonderful,” she says. “Everyone cheers each other on.”

For Melissa Castañeda, who teachers adult beginner ballet at the Ballet Hispánico School of Dance in New York City, there’s power in learning that you are capable of something new as an adult. “It’s always a joy to see students discovering something they didn’t know about themselves,” she says. “It’s common for people to discover that their bodies are able to move in ways they never thought they could move. Your confidence will increase if you’re training with a good instructor who allows you to discover that in yourself.”

“They’re just immeasurable,” says Hillen on the benefits of ballet. “It expands your life.”

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