As a young boy, every time I would see or hear about Shaolin monks in movies

And while the monks themselves may not have magical 

powers, there's definitely something magical in the way they stretch and contort their bodies into just about every shape and position. At the heart of their quest for peace and tranquility is a lot and lot of dynamic stretching.

These stretches involve opening up the hips and warming up the leg muscles and have been performed by Shaolin monks for thousands of years. Not only are these stretching exercises incredibly helpful to their health and wellness, but they're also amazing to watch.

While some of their stretching poses look like something you'd do before a sporting event..