Save your back this Easter

..... with a pre-gardening yoga sequence. If you take just 5 minutes to warm up your back and hamstrings it could save you having aches and pains following the traditional Easter weekend gardening session! Let me know how you get on.

Start by lying on your back and hugging your knees in to your chest. Rock from side to side.

Then move into a full body stretch and lift your right leg straight up, tap it with both hands, return to the full body stretch and repeat with the left leg. Repeat this several times on both legs.

Hug both knees back into the chest again. Rock.

Take the arms wide (in line with shoulders) and drop both knees over to the left, then the right and repeat these spinal twists several times to each side.

Come onto hands and knees and move through some cat stretches followed by extended child, down dog or both!

If you have more time then try a few prone backbends such as Cobra, Snake or Sphinx.

Once you get out into the garden try to kneel or squat as you work rather than forward bending too much. Enjoy the long weekend and make sure that you finish off by sitting down and admiring your handiwork with an Easter egg or two!