Stiff back? Roll with it

To stretch your back muscles, try rolling like a ball. This exercise will strengthen your abdominals and give your spine a nice little massage. Just be sure to do the exercise on a cushioned surface or extra-thick mat.

1 Begin by loosely hugging your knees into your chest, placing one hand around each ankle. Bring your chin to your chest and move your navel in toward your spine as you engage your abdominals. Lift your feet a few inches and balance evenly on your hips.

2 As you exhale, shift your weight backward, and roll back. Pause for a moment before rolling up to the balanced position again. Make sure you roll up and down evenly on the center of your spine. Keep your movements well-controlled and try not to let momentum carry you through the exercise. A good time to do this exercise is first thing in the morning and before you go to sleep at night.

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Karen Voight can be reached at kvoightla@aol.com.