Can't Do Child's Pose? Here's what Your Body's Trying to Tell You

Tip

You also may look at child's pose and think, how the heck am I going to do that down on the floor â€” and get back up after? If you're concerned about accessing this pose, try it out on your bed first. You'll still benefit from the stretch. The soft surface can also help relieve some of the pressure on your joints, according to Cano.

You Might: Have Limited Hip Flexion Mobility

To properly do child's pose, you need adequate hip mobility, specifically hip flexion. Hip flexion is the action of "closing" your hip crease or bringing your thigh closer to your torso. Deep hip flexion is needed for this pose, and some people experience tightness in this area or groin pain during child's pose.

2. Supine Knee to Chest

This exercise is a good hip opener while being gentler on the knees. Theresa Marko, DPT, owner of Marko Physical Therapy, recommends this move to people who want to improve hip flexion without stressing the knee joints.

Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms by your side.
Slowly bring your knees to your chest as far as you can. Use your hands to pull them closer if possible.
You can also try one leg at a time to practice both hip flexion and hip extension.

You Might: Need a Softer Surface

Sometimes, an inability to get into child's pose isn't about muscle flexibility or joint mobility. If you experience child's pose knee pain, you could be feeling the effects of arthritis, Marko says.

Fix it: The primary fix to is to do the pose on a softer surface. Try folding up some blankets and positioning them beneath your knees, using a couple of yoga pillows or meditation cushions or even doing the pose on your bed. Also, it's best to consult with a healthcare professional if you think you may have arthritis or an injury to your knee joints.

You Might: Need to Work on Ankle Plantarflexion

Your ankles move primarily in two ways: dorsiflexion, which brings the toes closer to your shin, and plantarflexion, which is essentially pointing your toes away from your shin. In child's pose, deep plantarflexion is required to sink all the way into the position. Many people may have shin or top-of-foot pain during child's pose when doing plantarflexion.

Fix it: For achy shins and feet, improving plantarflexion in the ankle is crucial for getting into child's pose. By increasing the range of motion in the front of your ankle, you'll feel less tightness in the muscles along your shinbone. Practicing dorsiflexion can help, too, and is generally a good movement pattern to work on.

You Might: Need to Improve Spinal Mobility and Flexibility

One common reason people can't get all the way into child's pose is that their back muscles are tight, Marko says. "In the child's pose position, you are elongating them and stretching them and if they are tight, they can feel uncomfortable."

Another factor that might be holding you back? Mobility limitations in your actual spine. In child's pose, your lower spine flexes (rounds) and your upper spine extends (arches). If you struggle with either of those movements, the pose may be difficult to do, Marko says.

One way to modify child's pose for a tight back is to place your hands on an elevated surface, such as yoga blocks or rolled-up towels. This will reduce the amount of stretch in your back but still allow you to sink into the pose. As you gain flexibility, you can reduce the amount of elevation until you can place your hands directly on the floor.

Fix it: The fix to poor spinal mobility is, like with all joints, to challenge your vertebrae to access deeper ranges of motion. Improving your ability to flex and extend (round and arch, respectively) is your ticket to feeling comfortable in child's pose.

Progressive Sleepy Puppy Pose

Sleepy Puppy pose is similar to child's pose, but without the emphasis on hip flexion. By practicing sleepy puppy pose, you can focus on spinal flexion and gradually improve your ability to sink into this position.

Read more on: livestrong