Check out Tavel’s three exercises from Stretch Your Healthy Self to help you get started. No matter the time of day, Tavel says these natural positions are a great way to relax. Avoid forcing or pushing them. Allow gravity to take over and remember to breathe in a rhythmic, natural manner.
Tighten your knees to your chest
Doing this exercise will relieve tension in the hips and lower back.
Start in a backward position, placing your arms at your sides and bending your knees so your feet are flat on the floor. Carefully pull both knees toward your chest while holding the thigh or just below the knee with one hand. Just hold still for a minute or two. To reduce stress on your lower back, try swaying your hips from side to side. Do this two or three times.
Child’s pose
The arms, shoulders, and lower back can all benefit from this stretch.
Get down on all fours, placing your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Extend your arms, palms facing down as you step forward. Gently lower your torso to the floor, bringing your hips toward your heels and letting your arms extend farther forward. Gently hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
Rotate lower body
In addition to stretching the hips and lower back, this pose also helps rotate and lengthen the spine.
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your arms at your sides or outstretched, like a “T” shape, to help steady you.With your shoulders and upper back pressed into the floor, slowly bring your knees to the right until you feel a slight twist and stretch in your lower back. Keeping your knees together while doing this move can be difficult.
After a moment, while keeping your knees together and your shoulder blades down, lift your knees and let them fall to the left. Rock back and forth gently, giving yourself a few seconds to stretch each muscle. Rotate your body five times, once on each side.
