Go ahead and stretch, with support

Using tools to help modify exercises is an excellent way to progress with your fitness program. We all tend to have tightness in various parts of our bodies, and tools help support us in movements that would otherwise be too uncomfortable to maintain. In this pose, yoga blocks (or sturdy shoe boxes) can keep you from dropping too deep if your hips are tight.

1 Stand with your feet together on a flat, non-slippery surface. Place a block on each side of your feet. Bend your knees, placing your hands on each block. Your front shins should remain perpendicular to the ground.

2 Step back with your right leg, balancing on the toes of the back foot. Straighten your right knee and reach out through the heel of your right foot. Raise your chest away from your left thigh as you keep your back leg straight. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds, breathing evenly, and focus on stretching the front of your right hip. Repeat on the other leg.

-- Karen Voight