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Many people, particularly men, tend to be stiff in their hamstrings (the muscles at the back of the legs). This can cause lower back pain, aching legs and reduced movement of the lower body.
Try this exercise to help build flexibility:
1. Stand with your legs about hip width apart and place your hands on your hips.
2. Take a deep breath in and feel your chest lift.
3. As you exhale slowly fold forward into a forward bend.
4. Allow your arms to hang down by your sides and keep a small bend at your knees to release the lower back.
5. Stay here for ten long breathes and feel that the backs of the knees are floating upwards as the spine releases downwards.
6. Let your neck, head and shoulders relax and enjoy the restful sensation of the pose—even whilst your breathe deeply into the sensation of the muscles at the backs of teh legs lengthening and opening.
7. After 10 –20 breathes, slowly roll up, stacking one vertebrae on top of another at a time so that the head is the last to come up.
Practice this every day and within a week you will see how your flexibility has increased – suddenly those toes don’t seem so far away after all!
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