Pregnancy Thigh Exercises
MEASURING THE HAPPY BODY
The Bow
To measure the flexibility of your cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, front of the neck, and rib cage, lie down flat on your stomach, facing a wall, with your palms facing up and your head facing to either side. Arch your spine with your shoulders and arms relaxed, your hands (palms up) and toes touching the floor, and your eyes looking upward:
Poor: You can look straight down at the floor.
Fair: You can look at the bottom of the wall.
Good: You can look at the middle of the wall.
Very Good: You can look at the edge of the ceiling.
Excellent: You can look straight up at the ceiling.
MEASURING THE HAPPY BODY
Pregnancy Thigh Exercises Photo Gallery
The Corkscrew
To measure the flexibility of your legs, hips, spine, rib cage, and neck, stand in the middle of a square room, facing a wall. Place your feet directly under your hips, holding a stick behind your neck with your elbows down and your forearms perpendicular to the floor. Twist your body to the right:
• Poor: You can look at the wall to your right (90° turn).
Fair: You can look at the second corner to your right (135° turn).
Good: You can look at the wall behind you (180° turn).
Very Good: You can look at the third corner to your right (225° turn).
Excellent: You can look at the wall to your left (270° turn).
Repeat these steps to the left side.
MEASURING THE HAPPY BODY
Jerzy Squat
To measure the flexibility of most of the joints in your body (fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, spine, rib cage, hips, knees, ankles, and toes), stand up straight with your feet together and your toes curled up. Then lift your arms above your head, holding a blog on your open palms. Keeping your heels on the ground and your arms vertical with the elbows locked, squat down as far as you can without leaning forward:
• Poor: You can only barely bend your knees.
• Fair: You can squat with your thighs higher than parallel to the ground.
• Good: You can squat with your thighs parallel to the ground.
• Very Good: You can squat with your thighs lower than parallel to the ground.
• Excellent: You can sit on your calves, totally relaxed.
* Mary Lynn Moran (44-year-old facial plastic surgeon)
