Exercise of the Week - Standing Cat Stretch

When I first moved to Chicagoland, I went to a yoga class at a local health club. What I didn't know was that this was an advanced yoga class that included poses like feet-behind-the-head-while-you-balance-on-your-hands, or stand-on-one-leg-while-you-wrap-the-other-leg-around-your-shoulders-and-whistle-Dixie. Okay, I just made those up, but it kind of felt that way.

Taking the wrong yoga class can make you think yoga is out of reach for the average person, but there are plenty of yoga exercises anyone can do, my favorite being the standing cat stretch. I love this exercise because it releases tension in the lower back, opens up the hips and chest and gives you a great stretch for the abs and back. This is the perfect exercise to do after you've been sitting for awhile and you won't even have to wrap yourself up like a pretzel to do it.

Do it right: Lower into a squat with the hands on the thighs and inhale as you arch the back and open up through the chest. Exhale and pull the abs in, rounding the back up towards the ceiling. Lower and repeat, moving smoothly between the poses for 8-10 reps.