One Good Stretch

The nicest thing about Karen Voight, fitness writer for the L.A. Times, is that she knows how to keep things clean, simple, and useful. Here, for example, is Voight’s two-step advice about a simple exercise that will stretch both sides of your spine, the backs of your legs and your hips, and open your chest. Yoga people will recognize it as the triangle pose.
1. Stand with your legs 4 feet apart.
Place a yoga block near your right calf. Turn your right leg out 90
degrees, and turn your left foot in 30 degrees. Extend your arms out to
the sides at shoulder level so they form a "T" with your torso.
2.
Exhale and shift your pelvis to the left as you move your torso to the
right and over your right leg. Place your hand on the yoga block or
rest it on your right shin if you don’t have a block. Reach up with
your left arm and look up at your left hand (if this bothers your neck,
look straight ahead or down). Keep your shoulders relaxed and away from
your ears. Hold this pose for six to eight breaths. Return to the
standing position and repeat on the other side.