Note: please consult with your health care professional before starting a new exercise program.

You may or may not realize it, but throughout the day you’ve been making repetitive movements. Whether it’s typing at a computer, doing housework or sitting in a car, any and all of these constant motions have been causing your muscles to tighten up. So it’s important to reverse the repetition. How? By stretching.

Doing stretches helps move you in the opposite direction of repetitive movements, and that’s a good thing. According to Wendy McClure, an ACSM-certified trainer who was also voted one of the top 100 trainers in the country by Men’s Journal magazine, staying flexible has many benefits.

First off, it helps your spine. “A flexible spine is a strong spine and this translates to a strong body,” says McClure. “Most of your muscles attach to your spine and your pelvis, and if your spine isn’t strong, these muscles don’t have a strong central attachment point.”

McClure also notes that as we age, our muscles, tendons and ligaments naturally lose collagen, which makes them stiffer. So when you move and stretch, you’ll bring blood flow and good nutrition to your muscles and tissues, which in turn creates more pliability.

Finally, stretching helps with bone strength. As you stretch, you’re pulling on muscles that, in turn, are pulling on your bones creating more joint integrity. This helps stimulate your bones and keep them strong.

So what are some good stretches? McClure recommends the following because they offer up a whole body approach where you’ll be stretching multiple muscles. Try and hold each stretch for up to 30 seconds, but never overdo it.

Downward Facing Dog This is a popular yoga pose that will stretch your hips, hamstrings and lower back muscles. Come to your hands and knees with the wrists underneath the shoulders and the knees underneath the hips. Curl the toes under and push back raising the hips and straightening the legs. Spread the fingers and ground down from the forearms into the fingertips. Keep your hips high and sink your heels back to the floor.

Upward Facing Dog Another yoga pose that stretches your chest, abdominal muscles and hips. Start in a push-up position with your stomach on the floor, palms flat, elbows hugging your sides, tops of your feet flat. Push up with your arms, lifting your head and chest. Also lift your thighs off the floor, pressing the tops of your feet down and dropping your hips. Make sure the shoulders stay over the wrists.

Twisting Stretch. Helps stretch shoulders, abdominal muscles and hips. Sit on the floor with your feet straight out. Bend your right leg over your left then turn your upper body to the right, reaching your right arm behind you and placing your left elbow over your right knee. Reverse.

If you have an exercise ball, McClure recommends rounding over it with your stomach on the ball and reaching your arms out one at a time for a nice stretch of your shoulders, abdominals and hips. Another nice stretch is doing a backbend over the ball, which helps your back, hips, shoulders and abdominals.

Stay consistent with your stretches and your body will thank you.

Rebecca Heaton is a sports and fitness writer and editor of the Rocky Mountain Sports magazine based in Colorado. She also contributes to a number of regional sports and fitness publications around the country.