Seated forward bend

You should feel this stretch along the back of your legs or hamstrings. By hinging at your hips and using the weight of your upper body, you also get a good stretch in your lower back. To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your abdominals tight (see Figure a).
2. Inhale and as you exhale, bend forward at the hips as far as you can comfortably stretch, letting your arms and head hang down toward the ground (see Figure b).
3. Hold this 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 feel this stretch in the back of your legs.
• Do gradually deepen the stretch with each breath.
• Don’t force the stretch.