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Exercise library / Downward Dog Pedal

Downward Dog Pedal

Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.

A warm-up performed in downward dog: the knees bend one at a time so each heel presses towards the floor in turn, taking the calf and the back of the ankle through a moving stretch instead of a static hold.

Main focus
Mobility
Level
Starting
Equipment
Bodyweight
Load
Your body weight
Stability
Free: you control the whole movement
Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

No special equipment. A clear space and shoes or bare feet with a good grip.

How to do it

  1. Set up in downward dog with the hands shoulder-width apart and the hips high.
  2. Bend one knee and let that heel lift while the opposite heel presses down towards the floor.
  3. Switch sides smoothly, as if pedalling, keeping the hips high throughout.
  4. Keep the hands pressing evenly so the shoulders stay stable.
  5. Continue alternating for the desired number of repetitions or time.

How much

To start: Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times on each side, breathing normally. Stop short of pain.

As it gets easier: Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times on each side, breathing normally. Stop short of pain.

How it should feel: A mild stretch or a gentle loosening. Never sharp, never painful.

Make it easier

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Make it harder

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Tips

  • Keep the hips high; the point is the calves, not a deeper fold.
  • Press the whole hand into the floor so the wrists do not take all the load.
  • Move slowly enough to feel each side lengthen rather than bouncing.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.

From the source

  • Press the whole hand into the floor so the wrists do not take all the load.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.

Other ways to do this movement

Sign in and we will show other ways to do this, with other equipment or at a different level, chosen from your own answers. Sign in

Where this comes from

Steps and tips are from an open exercise dataset named below. Starting amounts, equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general guidance. Nothing here is clinically reviewed.

Steps and tips: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co). License: RepDB Free Tier License v1.0: personal or commercial use inside applications, visible attribution, no redistribution as a dataset or API. All credits.

    This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.