Lengthening back extension

The purpose of this stretch is to bring circulation to the muscles along your spine. If you have poor posture, or you’ve been sitting for an extended period of time, you probably have been rounding your back and slouching, which zaps your body of energy. This stretch straightens and lengthens your spine, which is great for improving mobility of your back.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Lie on your belly with your palms on the floor next to your chest with your elbows bent and your legs straight and together. Make sure to keep your neck in line with the rest of your spine (see Figure a).
2. Inhale and as you exhale, lengthen your spine, lift your chest, and begin to straighten your elbows as you push up with your arms (see Figure b). Keep your elbows close to your sides and squeeze your buttocks tightly to prevent undo compression of your spine. Imagine the space between each vertebra increasing, lengthening your spine.
3. Hold the stretch for a few seconds (or as long as it’s comfortable) and then slowly lower your body down to the starting position.
4. Repeat two or three more times.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your neck long and in line with the rest of your spine.
• Do keep your shoulder blades down.
• Do pull your belly in toward your spine.
• Do squeeze your buttocks tightly to prevent pressure in your lower back.
• Don’t compress your lower back.

Standing spinal twist with overhead reach

This stretch gets circulation back into your spine, especially if you’ve been inactive for a while. It’s the perfect stretch to get you moving again.
To do this stretch, follow these steps:

1. Stand tall with your feet apart, your abs and chest lifted, your shoulders back and down, and your arms to your sides. Keep your feet wide and your knees bent. This position keeps your center of gravity low and makes it easier to keep your upper body relaxed.
2. Inhale and as you exhale, bend your knees and pivot on your left big toe, turning your hips and shoulders to the right as you reach your left arm overhead.
3. Repeat on the left side.
4. Repeat the stretch for 16 to 20 repetitions, keeping your movement controlled and relaxed.

A few do’s and don’ts for this stretch:

• Do keep your knees bent at all times.
• Do keep your abdominals lifted.
• Do turn your hips all the way to the side.
• Don’t force or jerk the movement — it should flow from side to side.
• Don’t lock your knees.

Overhead forward arm swings

A very important part of overall fitness is being able to maintain your balance. Not only will this rhythmic full-body stretch wake you up, energize you, and lengthen your spine, but also it can help improve your balance, which means less accidents throughout the day when you’re climbing stairs or carrying groceries or your kids.
To do this exercise, follow these steps:

1. Stand tall with your feet together and your arms to your sides.
2. Inhale and reach your arms overhead, while raising your heels off the floor so you balance on the balls of your feet. Hold the pose for a count of three as you maintain your balance.
3. As you exhale, let your arms swing down as you bend your knees and shift your weight to your heels.
4. Use the momentum of your arms to swing your arms back up overhead and balance again. If you’re having trouble balancing at the top of this exercise, check to make sure that your abdominals are pulled in and your shoulders are pressed down.
5. Exhale and lower again.
6. Repeat this exercise five times.

On the last one, hold the balance for as long as you can.
A few do’s and don’ts for this exercise:

• Do keep your abdominals lifted.
• Do keep your shoulder blades down, especially when you raise your arms overhead.
• Do think of your spine getting longer each time you reach up.
• Don’t let your belly stick out or compress your lower back.
• Don’t hold your arms up behind your shoulders.