Q: After your main workout, do some light exercise, such as walking, for about 5 minutes as a brief cool-down. Then, do a series of static stretches for 5-10 minutes, holding each pose for at about 30-60 seconds. Focus on the muscle groups you just exercised, as well as your chest, lats, and hip flexors. The overall workout order should be as follows: 1) warm-up (5-10 min.); 2) dynamic stretches (5-10 minutes); cardio or strength-training workout (approx. 30 min.); cool-down (5 minutes); static stretches (5-10 minutes). Check out the remainder of this section for several popular static stretches to try. Sit on the floor with your legs extended and spread apart. Reach forward to touch one foot at a time with your same-side finger tips, or get as close as you can to touching it without causing pain. Bend your other leg if it makes the stretch less painful. Sit on the floor. Pull both ankles in towards your crotch, getting your heels as close as you can to touching your crotch. Press your knees to the floor, if you're able, to increase the stretch. Stand up and keep your feet as wide as possible while you hold onto the back of a chair. Push your rear end to one side and hold. Then push it to the other side and hold. This stretch will also benefit your hip flexors. Use your opposite arm to pull your elbow across the front of your body, towards the opposite shoulder, pressing against your arm as you do so. Keep the arm you're stretching straight and level, and keep your head facing forward. The arm that's being stretched should rest right beneath your chin. These stretches are a bit more complex, so consider getting instruction from a personal trainer first. Move into your chosen stretch, then release the stretch and contract the muscles in the area for 5 seconds. Release the contraction and relax the muscles while moving into the stretch again. Do 2-3 contractions per stretch. Try to engage the stretch a bit further after each contraction. Stop extending the stretch if you feel anything more than mild pain, however. This method is sometimes called PNF (for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation). PNF is based on the concept that stretching increases flexibility not by lengthening your muscles, but rather by training your nerves in the area to accept greater muscle stretching before engaging pain and muscle contraction responses.
A: Follow your workout with a brief cool-down, then 5-10 minutes of static stretches. Do static hamstring stretches while seated on the floor. Try butterfly groin stretches as another on-the-floor option. Use the "tush push" stretch to add flexibility to your glutes. Do the classic shoulder stretch across your chest. Try the contract-relax method instead of static stretches.

Q: Good study habits begin before you even leave the classroom. Listen attentively to what the teacher has to say on the subject. Ask questions, and answer the teacher's questions. Pay close attention for cues (or direct statements) from the teacher about what is most important to know, and take notes especially on these topics. Read the assigned chapter in the textbook, and read over any notes, handouts, or other materials given to you. If there is a review or study session offered by the teacher, go to it. Give yourself the best chance for success. You'd be surprised by the number of people who do poorly on tests because they don't read the book. Don't just read the assignment mindlessly actively engage with it. Pick out the important words (sometimes they're in bold), look them up if needed, and write your own definition for them. Carefully examine introductions, conclusions, review sections, and recap questions you find in textbook chapters. As with writing down your own definitions for key terms in the textbook chapter, it's best to put all the critical information in your own words. Keep a notebook and pen near you, and write out the key points you are studying. If you have someone else's notes, rewrite them yourself; it's even best to rewrite your own classroom notes. This is a proven trick to help your brain engage more in the material. Our brains engage the material we're studying at multiple levels at once. While we consciously take in and try to comprehend the material we're studying, unconscious layers of our brain are working behind the scenes to organize and make sense of the material. Stop every so often so that you can take advantage of this behind-the-scenes work you're doing without realizing it. Concentrate intently on your study materials for a reasonable period of time (a half-hour, for instance), then take a step back, pull out a sheet of paper, and try to summarize what you've just learned in your own words. You may be amazed at how much of the material you actually recall and understand. You can also try summarizing the entire study session the day after. Associate what you're learning in theory with a more practical or tangible example. If you are studying history, for instance, try to make a story related to the subject. Or visit a museum, battlefield, etc. associated with it. If you're reading about how to do a simple science experiment, try doing the actual experiment. Create games, songs, images, or other types of mnemonic devices to help you associate and recall the information.
A: Pay attention in class. Utilize all resources made available to you. Pick apart the textbook. Put information into your own words. Process, then summarize the information. Put the information into practice.

Q: Canaries may be small, but they need roomy cages to flap, hop, and fly to their heart's content. A canary cage should be at least 16 inches (41cm) tall and 30 inches (76cm) wide. Avoid cages with a rounded shape, as these can restrict how much the canary can fly around. They may also make it difficult to hang perches correctly. Canaries are active birds, and they may enjoy interacting with your family. Keep the cage someplace with plenty of interesting activity. A living room or home office may be ideal. While canaries may enjoy watching humans, many do not like to be held or handled by humans. Let the canaries watch you, but try not to bother them. Put the cage in an area with plenty of light but no direct sunlight. It should be well-ventilated with no drafts blowing on the cage from vents or windows. Keep the cage about 6 feet (1.8m) off the floor, either by hanging it or setting it on a stand. Canaries will be happiest when they can flit from one perch to another. When placing perches in the cage, adjust them so that they are different heights. This will give the canary multiple flight paths. Choose perches between 3/8 inches (9.5 mm) and 3/4 of an inch (19 mm) in diameter. Keep a few different widths of perch inside the cage. This will reduce foot discomfort for your canary. Canaries do not require as many toys as other birds, but a few interesting objects will help keep them active. Avoid crowding the cage. Two or three toys will go a long way. Good toys for canaries include: Mirrors. Plastic balls. Swings. Sticks with leaves on them. Bells. Vine balls. Tightly-wound ropes. You can attach a bird bath to the walls of the cage or place a small bowl of cold water inside. Your canary will splash and bathe in the water when they need a quick refreshment. If your canary does not use the bath, try filling a spray bottle with cold water, and gently spritzing them with it instead. Change the bath water every day.
A:
Make sure their cage is large enough. Place the cage in an active area of your home. Add a variety of perches to encourage flight. Put a few toys inside their cage. Set a bath inside of their cage.