Camel Pose

Muscles worked by the Camel Pose

Primary

Lower BackErector SpinaeHip FlexorsHip Flexor Muscles

Secondary

ChestPectoralis MajorQuadsQuadriceps Femoris

Also called: erector spinae, spinal erectors, lower back muscles, back extensors, hip flexor, iliopsoas.

Equipment

No equipment — this is a bodyweight exercise.

How to do the Camel Pose

1. Kneel with the knees hip-width apart and the hips stacked over the knees.
2. Place the hands on the back of the pelvis with the fingers pointing down and lift the chest.
3. Press the hips forward and arch back, reaching for the heels if the position stays comfortable.
4. Hold the pose for the prescribed time, keeping the neck in line with the spine.
5. Bring the hands back to the pelvis and come up chest-first.

Form tips

• Keep the hips over the knees; letting them travel back turns the pose into a collapse.
• Tuck the toes under and rest the hands on raised heels if the full reach is too deep.
• Come out slowly: lifting the head first is what usually makes people dizzy.

At a glance

Camel Pose in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Bird Dog Hold
• Bird-Dog
• Boat Pose
• Captain's Chair Knee Raise
• Captain's Chair Leg Raise
• Downward Dog Knee Tuck
• Downward Dog to Knee Drive
• Flutter Kicks

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "camel-pose",
  "name_en": "Camel Pose",
  "name_de": "Kamelhaltung",
  "name_es": "Postura del Camello",
  "description_en": "A kneeling backbend that opens the front of the hips, the abdomen and the chest while the hands support the position on the heels or the lower back.",
  "description_de": "Eine kniende Rückbeuge, die Hüftvorderseite, Bauch und Brustkorb öffnet, während die Hände auf den Fersen oder am unteren Rücken stützen.",
  "description_es": "Una extensión de rodillas que abre la parte frontal de las caderas, el abdomen y el pecho, con las manos apoyadas en los talones o en la zona lumbar.",
  "category": "stretching",
  "force_type": "static",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "intermediate",
  "body_part": "core",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "erector_spinae",
    "hip_flexors"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "pectoralis_major",
    "quadriceps"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "mobility"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "mobility",
    "stretching"
  ],
  "is_unilateral": false,
  "is_bodyweight": true,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Kneel with the knees hip-width apart and the hips stacked over the knees.",
    "Place the hands on the back of the pelvis with the fingers pointing down and lift the chest.",
    "Press the hips forward and arch back, reaching for the heels if the position stays comfortable.",
    "Hold the pose for the prescribed time, keeping the neck in line with the spine.",
    "Bring the hands back to the pelvis and come up chest-first."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Knie hüftbreit, die Hüften senkrecht über den Knien.",
    "Leg die Hände mit nach unten zeigenden Fingern auf das Becken und heb den Brustkorb.",
    "Schieb die Hüften nach vorn und beuge dich zurück, greif nach den Fersen, wenn es angenehm bleibt.",
    "Halte die Position für die vorgegebene Zeit, der Nacken bleibt in Verlängerung der Wirbelsäule.",
    "Bring die Hände zurück ans Becken und komm mit dem Brustkorb zuerst hoch."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Arrodíllate con las rodillas a la anchura de las caderas y las caderas alineadas sobre ellas.",
    "Coloca las manos en la parte posterior de la pelvis con los dedos hacia abajo y eleva el pecho.",
    "Empuja las caderas hacia delante y arquéate hacia atrás, buscando los talones si la posición sigue cómoda.",
    "Mantén la postura durante el tiempo indicado, con el cuello en línea con la columna.",
    "Devuelve las manos a la pelvis y sube liderando con el pecho."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Keep the hips over the knees; letting them travel back turns the pose into a collapse.",
    "Tuck the toes under and rest the hands on raised heels if the full reach is too deep.",
    "Come out slowly: lifting the head first is what usually makes people dizzy."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Lass die Hüften über den Knien - wandern sie nach hinten, sackt die Haltung zusammen.",
    "Stell die Zehen auf und leg die Hände auf die erhöhten Fersen, wenn der volle Griff zu tief ist.",
    "Komm langsam heraus: zuerst den Kopf zu heben macht die meisten schwindelig."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Mantén las caderas sobre las rodillas; si se van hacia atrás, la postura se derrumba.",
    "Apoya los dedos de los pies y coloca las manos sobre los talones elevados si el alcance completo es demasiado.",
    "Sal despacio: levantar primero la cabeza es lo que suele marear."
  ],
  "met": 5.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "main": "images/flat/camel-pose-main.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "camel-pose");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.