IN the interest of enlightened journalism, my husband, Bruce, and I tried a few of the “Safe Flex” exercises at home, on our living room floor.

Let’s just say we didn’t sprain anything.

In fact, the exercises we tried – including the seated leg raises, the inner-leg lift, the chest flex and a “butterfly” stretch – helped us feel more limber and even a little light-headed.

Since Bruce is a foot taller and nearly a hundred pounds heavier than I am, there were times (particularly when he was on my lap) when I felt a trifle overwhelmed. Bruce, for his part, felt very . . . lively.

The stretches were great and the close contact made us feel like getting even closer.

Bruce, by the way, is a certified fitness professional who teaches aerobics and swing-dancing to seniors. He jokingly threatened to try some of these new moves at work. Not on his life.