Wheel Pose Yoga Pose

The Wheel Pose, or Urdhva Dhanurasana, is an advanced backbend that opens the chest and strengthens the entire body.

  1. Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
  2. Place your hands beside your head, fingers pointing towards your shoulders.
  3. Press into your hands and feet, lifting your hips and chest off the ground.
  4. Straighten your arms and legs as much as possible, arching your back.
  5. Hold the pose for a few breaths, then gently lower back down.

How to perform the Wheel Pose Yoga Pose

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Wheel Pose Yoga Pose using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your abdominals.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your abdominals rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Wheel Pose Yoga Pose

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