What Is Pandiculation, and Why Does It Feel So Good?

Pandiculation — sounds like something you might do in math class, right? Not exactly. It refers to the yawn-stretch reflex that happens after you’ve been inactive for a while.

“Pandiculation is hardwired into the brains of humans and other mammals,” says primary care provider Jeffrey Brown, DO. “Cats are especially good at pandiculating, with their exaggerated stretches. The movement readies their muscles to pounce.”

Dr. Brown explains why pandiculation occurs and how to harness it to relieve muscle tightness.

What is pandiculation?

Pandiculation is a big stretch you do with your arms and body, often yawning at the same time. It’s involuntary, meaning you do it automatically, without thinking. Pandiculation usually occurs at transitions in your sleep-wake cycle, especially when waking up. That magnificent morning stretch that energizes you and gets you ready for the day is a prime example.

The purpose of pandiculation is to reboot the nerves that control muscle contraction. It eases muscle tension that accumulates due to a lack of movement.

Many animals pandiculate, from dogs to hippos. If you’re pregnant, you may feel the fetus do it, too! As adults, you probably don’t do it enough, as the behavior is sometimes considered rude.

What triggers pandiculation?

Experts aren’t sure exactly what triggers pandiculation.

“We believe the process starts in an area of your brain called the hypothalamus and is related to a release of cortisol,” Dr. Brown reports. “The hypothalamus helps maintain balance in your body, controlling processes such as sleep, mood and body temperature.”

Hormones produced by your hypothalamus activate other hormones in your body, including cortisol. You may know cortisol as a stress hormone, but it’s also a part of your body's (rather complicated) internal clock.

There’s also a release of dopamine during pandiculation. Although we don't fully understand this connection, it may be why pandiculation feels so great.

What’s the difference between stretching and pandiculation?

They look the same. But stretching and pandiculation are different movements. There are many ways to stretch.

• Active stretching is when you contract one muscle to stretch an opposing muscle.
• Dynamic stretching includes movements, such as lunges and hip circles, to loosen your muscles before exercising.
• Passive stretching uses another person or prop to help you gently stretch beyond your typical range of motion.
• Static stretching focuses on holding a pose to stretch your muscles as much as you can.

“Pandiculation is unlike any of these types of stretching,” clarifies Dr. Brown. “When you pandiculate, you stretch your muscles while contracting them at the same time. In essence, your muscles are pulling in one direction as you push them in the opposite direction.”

Pandiculation is also unique because it’s an automatic response. Stretching, on the other hand, is something you do intentionally.

Benefits of pandiculation

We’ve already noted that pandiculation helps regulate your internal clock and floods your body with the “happy hormone” dopamine. But that’s not all researchers think it does. Other possible benefits of pandiculation include:

• Easing muscle tension. After a period of inactivity, your muscles can tense up. Pandiculation helps reset the electrical activity in your muscles, releasing excess tension. The result — you feel looser and more relaxed.
• Engaging connective tissue. Pandiculation activates the layers of connective tissue that hold your insides together (fascia). This movement helps keep those tissues healthy.
• Promoting healthy posture. Pandiculation’s like your body’s way of hitting CTRL+ALT+DEL on your posture. It forces the muscles that govern your posture to contract. That, researchers suspect, is why you sit a bit straighter after yawning and stretching at your desk.
• Maintaining balance. Posture and balance go together like peanut butter and jelly. The same muscles that are responsible for your posture also help you stay upright. Pandiculation wakes those muscles up and prepares them to get you where you need to go in one piece.

Pandiculation exercises

You can do pandiculation intentionally as well, although you won’t experience the same feel-good sensations as you do with involuntary pandiculation.

How to do pandiculation exercises

The basic procedure to release a tight muscle is to:

1. Contract the muscle firmly but gently.
2. Slowly release the contraction.
3. Relax the muscle.
4. Repeat.

Pandiculation exercises focus on specific muscle groups and movements. For example, to release tense muscles in your lower back:

1. Lie on the floor on your back.
2. Bend your knees, keeping your feet on the floor.
3. Arch your back by pressing your tailbone toward the floor.
4. Allow your lower back to flatten slowly against the floor.

To learn how to do pandiculation exercises properly, Dr. Brown recommends finding a trained practitioner — in person or online. Books and videos are also available. As long as you start slow and stay within your comfort zone, the exercises should be safe. And you might even find long-lasting relief from pain.

Are pandiculation exercises effective?

The effectiveness of pandiculation exercises isn’t well studied, especially compared to other mind-body therapies, such as yoga and tai chi. One study looked at the effects of pandiculation exercises on chronic back pain. The results showed that completing three exercise sessions reduced pain medication use by 75% and provider visits by 53%.

“The theory behind pandiculation exercises is sound,” says Dr. Brown. “For anyone with chronic muscle tightness, it’s definitely worth a try.”