Frog Pose

Mandukasana

A kneeling pose with the knees wide and shins out to the sides. A direct, intense adductor and inner-groin stretch, usually held long and passively.

DIFFICULTY
Intermediate
EQUIPMENT
Mat · Blanket · Bolster
PRIMARY MUSCLES
Adductors
ALSO WORKS
Hip Flexors · Glutes · Lower back
HOW TO DO IT
  1. 01Start on hands and knees with a folded blanket under the knees.
  2. 02Walk the knees wider than the hips, keeping the ankles in line behind the knees.
  3. 03Flex the feet so the inner edges of the shins rest along the mat.
  4. 04Lower onto the forearms, keeping the spine long and the hips in line with or slightly behind the knees.
  5. 05Hold ten to twenty slow breaths, then walk the knees back together and rest in a child's position.
COACHING CUES
  1. 01Ankles behind the knees, shins parallel.
  2. 02Move the hips back a couple of inches at a time — small changes are large here.
  3. 03Pad the knees; this is not a pose to tough out on a bare floor.
COMMON MISTAKES
  1. 01Widening the knees faster than the groin tolerates, which forces end range and makes the tissue grip.
  2. 02Letting the lower back sag toward the floor, which shifts the stretch from adductors to lumbar spine.
  3. 03Sliding the feet in behind, which puts a rotational strain through the knee joint.

Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.

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