Which of the following is a contraindicated exercise involving a deep backbend pose?

• A. Wall sit
• B. Bird dog
• C. Back bend
• D. Mountain climber

Answer: (C)

Pushing the spine into a deep backbend places a lot of extension and compressive stress on the spinal joints and discs. This can aggravate or worsen issues like back pain, osteoarthritis, or a prior injury, and even healthy individuals should avoid deep backbends if they’re not prepared or if form slips. Among the options, the one that involves a deep backbend is the deep backbend itself—the movement that intentionally extends the spine a lot. The other exercises keep the spine in a more neutral position or involve different patterns of movement (static knee-dominant hold, a stability pose with limb reaches, or a dynamic core action) and do not require deep spinal extension. If a safer alternative is needed, you can practice gentler backbend variants with careful control and proper alignment.