It is hardly ever a good thing to perform certain types of forward bending actions or exercises prior to a thorough stretching (loosening) of the posterior (back) muscles of the legs. A good number of back injuries result from actions performed when these muscles are in an inflexible state. Actions and exercises to be wary of are those that involve a forward bending of the upper body; especially when the upper body is descending centrally to both legs and the legs are kept straight. As a general rule, you should stretch the back muscles of the legs, prior to performing such "full" forward bending actions.

The seated head-to-knee pose of Fusion One is a great exercise to safely stretch the back muscles of the legs. The exercise targets the leg’s posterior muscles with little stress to the delicate lower back. You perform the exercise by first sitting in a chair. From this seated position, simply extend one leg to the front. Next, you lower the upper body towards the extended leg. At the completion of the movement, hold the position for 30 seconds or longer while breathing normally. When ready, return the body to its original upright position. Repeat the exercise using the other leg. The exercise may be performed three times on both sides. Note: the upper body should be lowered directly towards the extended leg and not to the inside or outside of it.