Happy Baby Pose
What Is the Happy Baby Pose?
Happy Baby Pose is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the hips and groin and also stretches the glutes and hamstrings. It is a beginner-level movement done lying on your back, holding your feet with your knees bent and spread wide so your shins point straight up toward the ceiling.
The pose comes from yoga, where it is known as Ananda Balasana, and it is often one of the last poses in a class because the floor supports the whole body and the stretch is easy to relax into. Outside yoga it works well as a cooldown after squats, lunges or running, or as part of a morning mobility routine for stiff hips. Because you lie on your back, you can work into deep hip bending with the knees wide, a position similar to the bottom of a deep squat, without having to balance or hold up your body weight.
Bending the hips deeply while the knees open out to the sides lengthens the inner thigh muscles, especially the large adductor magnus, along with the gluteus maximus. With the knees bent at about a right angle the hamstrings get a moderate stretch, and pulling the feet down a little further increases it. The lower back stays long and flat on the floor, so many people find the pose relaxing for the back as well. It is not a hip flexor stretch, because the hips are fully bent and those muscles are shortened.
Happy Baby Pose suits anyone with tight hips or inner thighs, including lifters working on squat depth, runners and people who sit for long hours. The main limit is reaching the feet. If you cannot hold them without your tailbone lifting, hold your ankles, shins or the backs of your thighs instead, or loop a strap around each foot. Beginners with very stiff hips can build up with the Lying Knee to Chest Stretch first, and those who want a deeper inner thigh stretch can move on to the Frog Pose.
Muscles Worked
- Adductor Longus
- Primary
- Adductor Magnus
- Primary
- Gluteus Maximus
- High
- Biceps Femoris
- Medium
- Semimembranosus
- Medium
- Semitendinosus
- Medium
Instructions
- Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor and your arms resting by your sides.
- Lift your feet off the floor and draw your knees in toward your chest.
- Reach your arms up inside your knees and take hold of the outer edge of each foot. If you cannot reach from the floor, lift your head and shoulders briefly to catch hold.
- Lower your head and shoulders back to the floor and relax your neck.
- Let your knees open wider than your torso and bring them down toward the floor beside your ribs.
- Stack each ankle over its knee so your shins point straight up and the soles of your feet face the ceiling.
- Keep your tailbone and lower back resting on the floor.
- Gently pull down on your feet until you feel a stretch in your inner thighs and hips.
- Hold for about 30 seconds, breathing slowly and letting your knees sink a little lower on each exhale.
- Release your feet, bring your knees together and lower your feet back to the floor.
Common Mistakes
Lifting the tailbone
Pulling the feet so far that the tailbone and lower back peel off the floor rounds the spine and takes the stretch out of the hips.
Staying curled up
Keeping the head and shoulders off the floor after you catch your feet strains the neck and upper back, so lower them once you have hold.
Forcing the knees down
Yanking on the feet to drive the knees toward the floor tends to pinch the front of the hip, so let them sink gradually as you breathe.
Overreaching for the feet
Grabbing the feet when your hips are not ready rounds the lower back and hunches the shoulders, so hold the shins or thighs until you can reach comfortably.
Holding the breath
Holding your breath keeps the muscles tense, while slow exhales let the knees settle lower.
Injuries
Happy Baby Pose is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. You lie fully supported on the floor, no load is involved and your own hands decide how far the knees go, so problems usually come from pulling too hard rather than from the position itself.
The most common complaint is a pinching feeling in the crease at the front of the hip, which comes from the thigh crowding the front of the hip joint in deep hip bending. Easing off or letting the knees come up a little usually clears it. Pulling the feet down so hard that the tailbone lifts rounds the lower back and can strain it, and staying curled up with the head off the floor strains the neck. Anyone with a sensitive knee, hip or shoulder can hold behind the thighs instead of the feet, which takes pressure off all three.
To make the pose easier, hold the ankles, shins or the backs of the thighs, loop a strap around each foot, or work one leg at a time with the other foot flat on the floor. The Lying Knee to Chest Stretch is a gentler starting point. For a deeper inner thigh stretch, progress to the Frog Pose.
Stop if you feel sharp pain in the hip, knee or back, or if pain, numbness or tingling spreads down either leg. After about 20 weeks of pregnancy, lying flat on the back for long periods can lower blood pressure, so keep holds short or choose a seated stretch such as the Butterfly Stretch.
- Primary Focus
- Hips & groin
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Yoga
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Happy Baby Pose
The Happy Baby Pose is also known as:
- Ananda Balasana
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What if I can't reach my feet?
Hold your ankles, your shins or the backs of your thighs instead, or loop a strap or towel around each foot. You can also do one leg at a time with the other foot flat on the floor, which asks for less hip mobility.
- Q: Should I rock from side to side?
Gentle rocking is an optional variation many yoga teachers add, and it can feel like a massage for the lower back. Keep the rocking small, keep your head and shoulders down, and go back to a still hold if it causes pinching in the hips.
- Q: Does Happy Baby Pose stretch the hip flexors?
No, the hips are fully bent in this pose, which shortens the hip flexors rather than stretching them. To stretch the front of the hip, use a lunge-style stretch such as the Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch.
- Q: How long should I hold the pose?
Hold for about 30 seconds and repeat two to four times, which follows general guidance for static stretching. Breathe slowly throughout and let the knees sink a little lower on each exhale rather than pulling harder.
- Q: Can I do Happy Baby Pose while pregnant?
Early in pregnancy it is usually fine if it feels comfortable, but after about 20 weeks lying flat on your back for long periods can lower blood pressure. From then on keep holds short or switch to a seated stretch such as the Butterfly Stretch, and follow the advice of your doctor or midwife.