Exercise of the day

It's really important to shore up those hamstrings and lower back. These oft-injured body parts do a lot of work. First off, stretch them often. WiserHealth likes two classic yoga poses: The forward bend and the standing forward bend. Bend from the waist and really feel it in your hamstrings. The downward dog is also a good one.

To prevent and strengthen, my wife and I tried this today and it really hit the hamstrings well. It's a stiff-legged deadlift on one leg. Grab two dumbbells and balance on one leg. Maintaining and arch in your back bend forward until you feel it in your hamstrings. Kick one leg back behind you.

Here's a link to a video for help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsX2VU26GMg

This dude has pretty good form, too.