Yoga Glossary · Joint Actions
Extension
Opening a joint angle — straightening, as the knee straightens or the spine arches.
Extension increases the angle between two body parts: straightening the knee or elbow, standing the hip tall, or arching the spine into a backbend. Moving beyond straight into backward bending is sometimes called hyperextension, which most joints should visit only in small, controlled amounts.
Backbends are spinal extension; pressing up from Chaturanga is elbow extension; Warrior III's lifted leg reaches into hip extension. Extension is powered by the extensor muscles at the back of the body — the erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings and triceps — which is why backbends and push-ups feel like back-body workouts.
In practice
- Every backbend is organized spinal extension; every straightened elbow is extension too.
- Locking a knee into hyperextension in standing poses dumps load into the joint — straight, not slammed.
- Extension at the hip in lunges is what stretches the hip flexors of the back leg.
Poses built on this action
- Mountain Pose
- Stand at Attention
- Arms Overhead (Upward Salute)
- Chair Pose
- Warrior I
- Warrior II
- Triangle Pose
- Crescent Lunge
- Runner's Lunge
- Tree Pose
- Dancer's Pose
- Standing Forward Fold
- Halfway Lift
- Gorilla Pose
- Wide-Leg Forward Fold
- Seated Forward Fold
- Cobra Pose
- Upward Facing Dog
- Locust Pose
- Bow Pose
- Camel Pose
- Bridge Pose
- Wheel Pose
- Half Pigeon
- Revolved Crescent Lunge
- Boat Pose
- Plank Pose
- Chaturanga
- Side Plank
- Crow Pose
- Downward Facing Dog
- Shoulder Stand
- Child's Pose
- Corpse Pose
- Easy Pose
Related terms
Test yourself
Pose IQ's Anatomy rounds quiz this term and its neighbours — ten questions, explanations after every answer.
The Yoga Glossary is an educational study reference. Definitions are standard yoga and anatomy knowledge in plain language; nothing here is medical advice.