Being very lazy, this is another one of my favorite exercises to do on waking up.

This passive stretch helps to lengthen the lower back and relax all the muscles of the back. There is no effort or strain in doing child’s pose. You just let gravity and time do the stretching.

Kneel on the bed or the carpeted floor or on a mat.

Sit up straight to start. If this is too much on your knees, take a towel and roll it up and put it behind your knees.

Now that your quads are stretched, separate your knees as much or as little as you like. I like to have my knees separated so that my torso fits between my legs when I lean forward.

Lean forward and lie on your thighs, or it your knees are separated, between your thighs.

You can put your arms in front of you on the floor and get a nice shoulder stretch at the same time, or keep your arms at your sides.

If your head does not reach the floor, put a pillow in front of your knees for your head to rest on.

Some people feel a little claustrophobic doing it, but if you separate your knees wide, you will feel fine.

Think of this like the first back stretch in Morning Exercises but you are flipped over onto your knees instead of your back.

You can see Beth do it here when she is pregnant with Ava: