Lower-body flexibility is critical for functional fitness and for athletic success. Warming up the lower body properly improves performance and heightens chances of victories. What’s more, it saves injuries. Hamstring tightness causes tight and weak glutes. Therefore, the body compensates and hip flexors become even tighter, especially with men. When the body compensates, posture and power go out the window and in comes such ailments as lower back pain. Don’t go there! Do a proper warmup before every workout. Even if you’re not an athlete, do these four hamstring-glute stretches that we demonstrate in the vid:

1. Hug Yourself while bending forward at the waist and gently rocking from side to side.

2. Touch your toes and/or go as low as you can until you can palm the floor.

3. Do the Pilates alternate single-leg impulse stretch.

4. Do the alternate one-leg kneeling stretch.

Enjoy and be healthy!