Game version
Stretch and tell: hold each stretch while your partner reads a fun fact or tells a short story. Swap, and breathe slowly.
Seal and Cat Stretch
Move your back gently both ways to keep it happy for arches and hollows.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Kneel on hands and knees.
Core: Mild tension. Never push into pain.
- Ages
- 7 and up
- Time
- 6 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Small room
- Bring
- Mat
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Flexibility
The steps
How it works
- Kneel on hands and knees.
- Round your back up like a cat, then let it dip a little.
- Lie down and press up gently into a seal with hips on the floor.
- Do 8 of each.
Coaching point
Easy and slow.
Safety: Stretch to a gentle pull, never pain. Nobody pushes you down; you go only as far as you can on your own. Pain in your lower back, worse when you bend back, is never normal: stop and tell a parent or coach. Keep back bends few and gentle.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Gentle levels: Less (reach a little), Core (mild tension), More (add a slow breath out). Never push into pain.
Story
You are a cat waking from a nap, stretching long and slow.
My best
Beat your own count
Never push into pain. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
Print it now, or save it free
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