Work It! Child pose

Tips from Crissy Stelmaschuk (pictured), yoga instructor How to do it Starting from a kneeling position, take your knees out wider than hips and bring your big toes together. Sink your hips down toward your heels, allowing the chest to come toward the floor. Bring your forehead to rest on the floor or on a yoga block or pillow. Reach the arms out in front of you, resting the palms on the ground. Begin by holding the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minutes and increase as your body allows. Benefits Child's pose lengthens and stretches the muscles in the back, as well as the glutes and thighs. This pose is great for calming the nerves as it can activate the parasympathetic system and may help to lower or regulate blood pressure. Work It! features a new exercise each week with guidance from a fitness professional at the Fitness Center at University Hospitals Avon Health Center. This eight-week series was created by Crissy Stelmaschuk, a yoga instructor who has advanced certifications in chair yoga and yoga for athletes. This series features eight poses designed to target the lower back and hips, two of most the common problem areas identified by those in Stelmaschuk's classes. "Americans tend to spend a lot of time seated which can lead to tightness and decreased mobility in those areas," she says, adding that she loves introducing people to yoga. So if you're new to the practice (and it is a practice), you're in the right place with this series. "It's a common misconception that you have to look a certain way or be super flexible to do yoga — but the truth is, if you can breathe, you can do yoga!" The physical, mental, and spiritual benefits overflow in yoga, she says. "My background in group fitness allows me to get creative with the physical movement piece, but my yoga training takes it one step further to connect the mind with the body and the movement with the breath." For more information, call program manager Renee Barrett at (440) 988-6822