The following are three ways to test your flexibility. The idea of testing is to become aware of how tightness with certain muscle groups can lead to injury if you are not careful during fitness workouts.

Test One: Hamstring Flexibility test

Props needed: tape measure and either a small sticky note or sticky tape.

Sit tall against a wall with your legs straight out in front of you, trying to keep your legs as straight as possible. Legs are a couple of inches apart with your knees and toes facing the ceiling. Place your hands on top of each other holding your sticky and reach arms out in front of body, extending the spine from the lower back, leading with your breastbone first. Place your sticky on the floor between your legs as far as you can reach forward, keeping good form.

Tip: Be careful not to round over as you reach forward this will give you a false result.

Gauge:

Measure from the wall to the sticky and record your result. Each week do the same test again and see how much your flexibility has increased.

The object of this test is to measure the flexibility in the hamstrings. Tightness of these muscles can cause lower back pain and quality of movement/function of your daily activities. Read the rest »

It’s summer time and that means - bathing suits! Check out the latest Clever Parents vidcast for fitness ideas for expectant moms and a new fitness columnist on Clever Parents. Watch vidcast #26 on Clever Parents TV.

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Post-natal exercise offers a whole range of benefits for new moms. However, it’s important to remember that you should always consult with your doctor before starting up an exercise program. What kind of delivery you had will determine how quick you can resume back to your exercise plan. It’s generally advised that you wait until your 6 week post-natal check up.

Caution is required before jumping back into an exercise program, especially with your abdominals. During pregnancy, your abdominals will separate from the added pressure of the baby. This is called diastasis recti. It’s important that you minimize the separation, allowing the abs to function properly, and also before doing any strenuous abdominal work. Simply perform the following test to gauge your separation. Read the rest »