Three-time Olympian and coach Pat Connolly gave me these tips for building flexibility to help you prevent falls, pulled muscles and back problems. Head-to-toe strength and flexibility help you achieve and maintain good balance.

A muscle should be strong through its whole range of motion. Learning to relax that muscle helps it stretch and increase its range. When ever you stretch one muscle its opposing muscle contracts. For example, when you make a fist and curl your hand up to your shoulder, your bicep ( in front of your upper arm) is contracting and your tricep (in the back of your upper arm) is stretching. So when you stretch a muscle, be sure to loosen or shake it gently after each stretch. Start with these stretches.

Head and Neck

1. Sit tall in the chair, hands rest relaxed on your lap. Take a deep breath and slowly exhale letting your shoulders drop and completely relax. Repeat 3 times.
2. While holding your head up straight, place the palm of either hand on your forehead, then as you curl your chin down to your chest give gentle resistance with your hand against your forehead so the front muscles in your neck have to work a little harder to get your chin down. Repeat 10 times.
3.Place your hand on the back of your head while your head is hanging forward, chin close to your chest. Then resist your head with gentle pressure from your hand as you roll your head back as far as it will comfortably go. Repeat 10 times.
4. Shrug your shoulders, then relax. Hold your arms out on each side at shoulder level and then make slow backward circles squeezing your shoulder blades together each time your shoulders go back. Repeat 10 times. These exercises can be done anytime you feel tense or have a headache. You