How to do Downward Dog
From hands and knees, tuck your toes and lift your hips up and back to form an inverted V. Press your chest toward your thighs and reach your heels toward the floor — they don't need to touch. Keep a slight bend in the knees if your hamstrings are tight rather than forcing straight legs.
How long to hold it
The most common recommendation for Downward Dog as a static stretch is a single 30 second hold. That is exactly how this timer is pre-configured: press start and it counts the hold for you, with 20 seconds of rest afterward. Since it's a symmetric position with no side to switch to, there's just one continuous hold — your eyes never leave the floor.
Common mistakes
Forcing straight legs and rounding the lower back to compensate, letting the head hang too heavy and straining the neck, and placing hands too close to the feet, which cramps the whole shape.
Why it's worth doing
Downward Dog stretches the hamstrings and calves while also opening the shoulders and lengthening the spine — a rare combination that reaches the whole back of the body in one position. It's a common warm-up and cool-down shape in yoga for exactly that reason.
Variations
Full pose (shown above): the standard version. Bent-knee pedal: alternate bending one knee then the other while pressing the opposite heel down — isolates each calf and hamstring in turn without leaving the position. Puppy pose: keep your knees on the floor and just walk your hands forward, sinking your chest down — a gentler shoulder-and-spine stretch without the leg demand.
Who should be careful
If you have wrist pain, shift more weight into your feet and less into your hands, or try the pose on fists or forearms instead. High blood pressure or a recent head/neck injury are commonly cited reasons to modify or skip inverted shapes like this one — check with a doctor if either applies to you.
FAQ
How long should I hold Downward Dog? A single 30-second hold is a common recommendation, and it's exactly how this timer is pre-configured.
What muscles does it target? Primarily the hamstrings and calves, with the shoulders and back stretching as well.
Why is there no switch-sides phase? Because both legs stretch at the same time in one symmetric position — there's no side to switch to, so this timer uses a single hold instead.
Related stretches
Calf Stretch Timer · Hamstring Stretch Timer · Cat-Cow Stretch Timer
About this timer
ExtendTimer is a free stretching timer with sound cues for every phase: a steady tick while you hold and an alert as the hold ends. It works offline, installs to your home screen like an app, and needs no account. Create a free account and it also tracks every session — total minutes stretched, your most-worked muscles on a visual front/back body map, and saved routines — so you can see your consistency build up over time. Routines of up to two stretches are free forever; Pro ($4.99/month or $29.99/year) unlocks unlimited routines, custom recorded sounds for any phase, and curated multi-stretch routine presets.