Seated forward bend

You should feel this stretch along your spine and throughout your entire back. By hinging at your hips, you release any tension in your back muscles and help stretch out the vertebrae in your spine.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your tummy pulled in or abdominals tight(see Figure).
2. Inhale and as you exhale, bend forward at the hips as far as you can comfortably stretch, letting your arms hang down toward the ground (see Figure).
3. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds or four to five slow, deep breaths.
4. Slowly roll back up, stacking one vertebra on top of the other until you’re sitting up tall.

A few do’s and don’t for this stretch:

• Do start the motion from your hips, not from your back.
• Do start the stretch in the comfort zone, gradually getting deeper with each breath.
• Don’t hold your breath.
• Don’t force the stretch.
• Don’t hold tension in your shoulders.