Camel Pose
What Is the Camel Pose?
Camel Pose is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads and also engages the glutes, abdominals, spinal erectors, chest and shoulders. It is an intermediate-level movement, a deep backbend from a tall kneeling position in which the hips stay over the knees, the chest lifts and arches back, and the hands reach down to the heels. Known in Sanskrit as Ustrasana, it is one of the 26 postures of the Bikram sequence and a common peak backbend in vinyasa and hot yoga classes.
The pose stretches the whole front of the body at once. The hip flexors and the rectus femoris lengthen across the extended hip and the bent knee, and the abdominals, chest and fronts of the shoulders open as the chest lifts. At the same time, the quadriceps hold the thighs upright against the backward lean, the glutes and hamstrings keep the hips pressed forward, and the back muscles and the muscles between the shoulder blades lift and hold the arch. That mix makes it a useful counterweight to long hours of sitting with the hips bent and the shoulders rounded forward.
Small changes set the intensity. Tucking the toes under, as shown here, lifts the heels and shortens the reach, while laying the tops of the feet flat lowers the heels and deepens the backbend. Keeping the hands on the lower back, known as Half Camel or Ardha Ustrasana, or resting them on blocks beside the ankles keeps the bend smaller. Whatever the version, the aim is to lift the chest up before leaning back so the arch spreads through the upper back instead of folding at the lower back.
Camel Pose suits people who already practice gentler backbends and have some flexibility at the front of the hips. If reaching the heels forces the lower back or neck, build up first with Cobra Pose, Sphinx Pose and Locust Pose for the spine, and the Low Lunge or Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch for the hips. Bow Pose and Upward Dog work a similar arch from the floor.
Muscles Worked
- Rectus Femoris
- Primary
- Gluteus Maximus
- High
- Rectus Abdominis
- High
- Vastus Lateralis
- High
- Vastus Medialis
- High
- Deltoid
- Medium
- Erector Spinae
- Medium
- Pectoralis Major
- Medium
Instructions
- Kneel on your mat with your knees about hip width apart and your thighs vertical, so your hips sit directly over your knees. Fold a blanket under your knees if the floor feels hard.
- Tuck your toes under so your heels lift and point up, keeping your shins parallel.
- Let your arms hang by your sides, lengthen up through the crown of your head and draw your lower ribs in slightly.
- Inhale and lift your chest up toward the ceiling, drawing your shoulder blades back and together. Squeeze your glutes to keep your hips pressed forward over your knees.
- Keeping your chest lifted, lean back and reach one hand and then the other down to your heels.
- Rest your palms on your heels with your fingers pointing down and your arms straight, and keep your hips over your knees.
- Let your head follow the curve of your upper back and look up and back only as far as your neck stays comfortable.
- Hold for 3 to 5 slow breaths.
- To come out, bring your hands to your lower back one at a time, press your hips forward and lead with your chest to rise back to upright kneeling, lifting your head last. Rest in Child Pose.
Common Mistakes
Hips sinking behind the knees
Letting the hips drift back as you reach for the heels turns the pose into a lower-back hinge and loses the stretch at the front of the hips, so keep the thighs vertical and squeeze the glutes.
Bending only from the lower back
Leaning back without first lifting the chest folds the spine at the lumbar region, so lift the breastbone up before arching back to spread the bend through the upper back.
Throwing the head back
Dropping the full weight of the head back compresses the neck, so let the head follow the chest only as far as the neck stays comfortable.
Forcing the hands to the heels
Grabbing for the heels before the chest has lifted collapses the backbend into the lower back, so keep the toes tucked and use blocks or the lower back for the hands until the reach comes easily.
Knees and feet splaying out
Letting the knees spread wide or the feet turn out twists the knees and makes the stretch uneven, so keep the knees hip width apart with the shins parallel and the heels pointing straight up.
Coming up head first
Snapping upright with the head leading strains the neck and lower back and can leave you lightheaded, so bring the hands to the lower back, lead with the chest and lift the head last.
Injuries
Camel Pose is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. It takes the spine into deep extension with the head tipped back, so the load is light but the joints work near the end of their range. The usual strain points are the lower back, when the hips drift back behind the knees and the bend folds at the lumbar spine, the neck, when the head is thrown back and the weight of the head hangs on it, and the knees, from kneeling on a hard floor.
Keep the thighs vertical with the hips over the knees, squeeze the glutes, and lift the chest up before leaning back so the arch spreads through the upper back. Let the head follow the curve of the spine only as far as the neck stays comfortable, or keep the chin slightly tucked if looking back strains it. Fold a blanket or a second mat under the knees and shins if kneeling hurts, and move into and out of the pose slowly, without bouncing at the end.
To make it easier, keep the toes tucked, rest the hands on the lower back instead of the heels, or reach for blocks set beside the ankles. The Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch, Sphinx Pose and Cobra Pose build the same openings with less demand. To progress, lay the tops of the feet flat so the heels sit lower, or hold the pose for more breaths.
Come out of the pose if you feel sharp or pinching pain in the lower back, neck or knees, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, or numbness or tingling in the arms. People with a recent neck or back injury, a spinal condition such as stenosis or spondylolisthesis, a knee injury, or a history of dizziness or vertigo should check with a clinician first.
- Primary Focus
- Quads
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Yoga
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Camel Pose
The Camel Pose is also known as:
- Ustrasana
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Should I tuck my toes or keep the tops of my feet flat?
Tucking the toes under lifts the heels a few inches, which shortens the reach and makes the backbend gentler, so it is the better place to start. Lay the tops of the feet flat once you can reach the heels easily with the hips still over the knees.
- Q: What if I cannot reach my heels?
Keep your hands on your lower back with the fingers pointing down, a version often called Half Camel, or set two blocks at their tallest height beside your ankles and reach for those. Lower the blocks as the front of the hips and the upper back open up.
- Q: Why do I feel dizzy or nauseous in Camel Pose?
Deep backbends with the head dropped back often leave people lightheaded, especially when they hold the breath or come up quickly. Keep the neck long, breathe steadily, and rise slowly with the head coming up last; if the dizziness lingers, tuck your chin to your chest until it passes, and stop practicing the pose if it keeps coming back.
- Q: How long should I hold Camel Pose?
Hold for 3 to 5 slow breaths, roughly 15 to 30 seconds, and repeat two or three times with a short rest between. Lengthen the hold only when you can breathe smoothly and the lower back and neck stay comfortable.
- Q: What should I do after Camel Pose?
Sit back onto your heels for a breath, then rest in Child Pose for a few breaths to let the spine settle into a gentle forward bend.
- Q: How is Camel Pose different from Bow Pose?
Both arch the spine and stretch the front of the body, but Bow Pose is done lying on the belly, with the hands holding the ankles and the back muscles lifting the chest and legs off the floor. In Camel Pose you kneel upright and lean back, so the thighs and glutes hold you up while gravity helps deepen the arch.