Cobra Stretch

Lie face down with your hands under your shoulders and your legs long behind you, feet relaxed. Press through your palms and straighten your arms as much as is comfortable, lifting your chest while your hips and thighs stay on the floor. Draw your shoulder blades down and back rather than up toward your ears — that's what turns this into a stretch through your front and a light contraction through your lower back instead of a shrug. Keep your neck long, eyes toward the floor a few feet ahead rather than cranked upward. If your lower back pinches, bend your elbows more and lift less; the stretch should sit through your abdomen, not compress your spine.