Exercise Library / Downward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog
Yoga's reset button — stretch the whole back line, build the shoulders.
Muscles worked
Primary Hamstrings
Tap a muscle to explore it on the interactive muscle map.
How to do it
- From all fours, tuck your toes and lift your hips high — your body forms an upside-down V.
- Press the floor away through spread fingers.
- Press your heels back and down — they don't need to touch the floor.
- Let your head hang relaxed between your arms.
- Breathe slow and long; soften a little deeper with each exhale.
Common mistakes
- Bent, collapsing legs. Deep knee bend lets the hips sink and the back line never gets its stretch — keep pressing the legs straighter.
- Rounding the back. Forcing heels down before the hamstrings allow it pulls the spine into a curve — the flat back matters more than flat heels.
- Shoulders creeping to the ears. Shrugged shoulders compress the neck; draw the shoulder blades down your back.
What the camera coach watches
These are the exact checks FitFormBuddy runs on every rep of downward facing dog — and what it says when you drift:
- Leg line lengthening“press your heels back and straighten your legs”
Get real-time form cues on this exercise
FitFormBuddy watches through your camera and coaches you mid-set — reps counted, mistakes called out as they happen.
