cat cow

Photo: Adam Bell

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Cat & Cow/Child's Pose/Bird Dog/Plank

What it does: Stretches out your lower back and strengthens the muscles in your back and core, which get weaker as we get older. Stronger, more-flexible back muscles will help you maintain better posture, says Wilmarth, "which immediately helps you feel younger."

How to do it: Start in a tabletop position on the ground and squeeze your abs to round your back up toward the sky. Hold for a second, then let gravity pull your stomach toward the floor so your back is arched. Repeat that 5 to 10 times, then sink back into child's pose, keeping your arms outstretched on the ground in front of you and trying to get your forehead and stomach to touch the ground. Hold for 15 seconds. Rise back up into tabletop position and lift your right arm out in front of you and your left leg behind you at the same time, hold for 5 seconds, then switch arms and legs and repeat for a total of 10 reps. Finally, get into a forearm plank position, keeping a straight line from your shoulders to your feet, and hold for 30 seconds.