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©2013 UpToDate ® Print Email Flexibility exercise: Back This exercise is for your back muscles. If you've had hip or back surgery, talk with your doctor before trying this stretch. Sit securely toward the front of a sturdy, armless chair with your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Slowly bend forward from your hips. Keep your back and neck straight. Slightly relax your neck and lower your chin. Slowly bend farther forward and slide your hands down your legs toward your shins. Stop when you feel a stretch or slight discomfort. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Straighten up slowly all the way to the starting position. Repeat at least three to five times. As you progress, bend as far forward as you can and eventually touch your heels. Reproduced from: Go4Life. National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. Available at: file://go4life.niapublications.org (Accessed December 2, 2011).