Mermaid

Sit on the mat (or reformer) facing the long right side of the mat, with your legs bent in front of you flat on the floor so that your left leg bends with the shin parallel to the front your body, and the right leg is to your right side with the shin parallel to the side.
Take your left hand to the floor and take your right arm straight up by your right ear on the inhale.
Exhale to flex the spine over to the left while pushing the floor away. Ensure you keep your spine in a vertical plane as if you were trapped between two panes of glass.
Inhale to come back, raising the left arm by your left ear, then counter stretch the spine over to the right.

“By adding rotation to the lateral flexion mermaid stretch, coupled with the cat/cow exercises, you will have moved your spine in every direction,” says McLachlan. “These two moves are great stretches to do daily, will only take a few minutes but could give you better spine health for life.”

Spine stretch forward

Sit with legs straight and extended in front of you, feet flexed, and arms reaching forward at shoulder height.
Inhale to sit tall, then exhale as you draw your belly button in. Round forward over your legs, curling your spine into a C-shape, keeping your arms parallel to the floor.

“This is a great exercise for stretching and strengthening the muscles along the spine, improving flexibility and promoting good posture,” says Warburton. “It also helps decompress the lower back, which can be particularly beneficial after sitting for long periods.”

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