Wheel Pose Yoga Pose

Master the Wheel Pose, a powerful yoga backbend that deeply stretches the chest, abdomen, and hip flexors while strengthening the arms, legs, and spine.

AdvancedWaist Body weight

Movement: Compound
Force: Static
Per set: 1 min
Rest: 30s

Get Ellim — Free

Free · iPhone only · Available on the App Store

Variations of Wheel Pose Yoga Pose

Compound

Plow Yoga Pose

Waist · Obliques · Body weight

Intermediate

Compound

Cobra Yoga Pose

Waist · Rectus Abdominis · Body weight

Beginner

Description

A challenging yoga pose that stretches the entire front of the body while simultaneously strengthening your spine, arms, wrists, glutes, and legs.

Save Wheel Pose Yoga Pose to a routine

Log sets, reps, and weight as you train — free in the Ellim app.

Get Ellim — Free

How to do Wheel Pose Yoga Pose

01
Setup
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor hip-width apart, and heels close to your glutes.
02
Setup
Place your hands on the floor beside your ears, fingers pointing towards your shoulders, with elbows pointing upwards.
03
Inhale, then press through your hands and feet, lifting your hips and chest off the floor.
04
Continue to push, extending your arms and legs to lift your body into a full arch, allowing your head to hang gently.
05
Hold the pose, breathing deeply, maintaining strong engagement in your glutes and hamstrings to support your back.
06
To exit, slowly lower your upper back, then your hips, to the mat, tucking your chin to your chest.

Tips

Thoroughly warm up your spine, shoulders, and wrists with gentle stretches like cat-cow and wrist rotations before attempting Wheel Pose.
Focus on lifting your hips towards the ceiling as much as possible to create space in your lower back and deepen the arch.
Keep your elbows drawing in towards each other; avoid letting them splay out wide, which can strain your shoulders.
Distribute your body weight evenly between your hands and feet, actively pressing into all four corners of both to stabilize the pose.

Common mistakes

Allowing elbows to splay outwards reduces shoulder stability; fix this by actively drawing your elbows towards each other.
Not engaging the glutes and hamstrings can strain the lower back; fix this by squeezing your glutes and pressing through your feet to lift your hips higher.
Craning the neck or dropping the head too far back without support can cause discomfort; fix this by allowing your head to hang naturally, keeping the neck long and relaxed.

In the Ellim app, Wheel Pose Yoga Pose unlocks

Free — no subscription needed

Log sets, reps, and weight
Track every set as you train
See your strength curve
Performance graphs across all sessions
Add to a routine
Save into a custom workout in one tap
Rest timer with Live Activity
Dynamic Island countdown between sets
HealthKit sync
Workouts flow to Apple Health
3,500+ exercise library
Search, filter, and pick variations offline

Ready to train wheel pose yoga pose?

Get Ellim — Free

Questions

Is Wheel Pose Yoga Pose good for beginners?

Wheel Pose Yoga Pose is rated advanced. Beginners can still attempt it with lighter weight and careful form, but it's best to master easier variations first.

What equipment do I need for Wheel Pose Yoga Pose?

You need Body weight to perform Wheel Pose Yoga Pose. If you don't have this equipment, look for variations that target the same muscles with what you have available.

What are the best tips for Wheel Pose Yoga Pose?

Thoroughly warm up your spine, shoulders, and wrists with gentle stretches like cat-cow and wrist rotations before attempting Wheel Pose. Focus on lifting your hips towards the ceiling as much as possible to create space in your lower back and deepen the arch. Keep your elbows drawing in towards each other; avoid letting them splay out wide, which can strain your shoulders. Distribute your body weight evenly between your hands and feet, actively pressing into all four corners of both to stabilize the pose.

What are common mistakes when doing Wheel Pose Yoga Pose?

Allowing elbows to splay outwards reduces shoulder stability; fix this by actively drawing your elbows towards each other. Not engaging the glutes and hamstrings can strain the lower back; fix this by squeezing your glutes and pressing through your feet to lift your hips higher. Craning the neck or dropping the head too far back without support can cause discomfort; fix this by allowing your head to hang naturally, keeping the neck long and relaxed.