Session 1

Some soreness during exercise is normal. Sharp, escalating pain is not.

1. 

   Exercise 1

   Bench / countertop decompression lean

   30-60s holds, as needed

   Lean forward, let the spine decompress

   How to do it

   1. 1Stand facing a sturdy bench, table, or countertop that is around hip height.
   2. 2Place your hands or forearms on the surface, then offload your weight onto the supporting surface. I find that it helps to turn my palms facing forward and not let my shoulders shrug.
   3. 3Let your knees soften slightly and allow your arms to support some of your bodyweight. If you're able to and have a stable surface, you may fully offload your weight onto the surface.
   4. 4Breathe slowly and feel your low back gently unload; hold for the prescribed time, then slowly walk your feet back in and stand up tall.

   Why this exercise

   This is your 'reset button.' It gives your back a break from compression and can calm things down after sitting, standing, or a long walk. It's not magic - just smart load management to partially offload compression for temporary relief.

2. 

   Exercise 2

   Seated hamstring stretch

   1 × 20-30s/side

   Seated or standing, pick one. Skip if you have leg/nerve symptoms

   How to do it

   1. 1Sit on the floor with one leg straight in front of you and the other heel of your opposite leg curled in against your straight leg.
   2. 2Hinge forward slightly from your hips rather than rounding your spine and try to grab your foot of the straight leg.
   3. 3Lean until you feel a stretch along the back of your thigh, or continue to grab your foot if you can do so. Stop well before sharp pain and gradually increase your stretch depth over time.
   4. 4Hold for the prescribed time while breathing steadily, then ease off and repeat on the other leg.

   Why this exercise

   Sometimes hamstrings are the 'limiting strap' that makes hinging feel tight or awkward. This gives you a controlled, gentle option - as long as it's a muscle stretch, not a nerve flare.

   Make it easier

   • Bend the knee a little
   • Reach and hold your lower leg/calf
   • Shorter holds
   • Perform a standing hamstring stretch

   Make it harder

   • Straighten your knee
   • Add holding time gradually
   • Reach to hold your foot and increase how much you lean towards your foot
3. 

   Exercise 3

   Figure-4/piriformis stretch

   1 × 20-30s/side

   How to do it

   1. 1Sit on a chair or lie on your back with both knees bent.
   2. 2Cross one ankle over the opposite knee so your leg forms a "figure-4" shape.
   3. 3Gently lean your trunk forward (if sitting) or draw the uncrossed leg toward your chest (if lying down) until you feel a stretch in the buttock and outer hip of the crossed leg.
   4. 4Hold for the prescribed time without bouncing, then relax and repeat on the other side.

   Why this exercise

   This is a personal favourite of mine, and I swear by performing this daily. This is a common stretch recommended to those with sciatica as the piriformis muscle sits right near the sciatic nerve (and for some poor people, the nerve runs right through the piriformis muscle). Stretching this muscle may help with nerve compression. This stretch reduces tension in the piriformis, hip extensors, and external rotators.

   Make it easier

   • Do it lying down on your back (often easier to control)
   • Don't lean your torso into the stretch very much
   • Shorter holds

   Make it harder

   • Slightly deeper stretch over time (lean deeper with torso)
   • Longer holds
4. 

   Exercise 4

   Hip flexor stretch (half-kneeling)

   1 × 20-30s/side

   Emphasized: tight hip flexors pull you into extension. Don't arch, keep the pelvis tucked

   How to do it

   1. 1Kneel on one knee with the other foot flat in front of you, both knees at roughly 90 degrees.
   2. 2Squeeze the glute of your kneeling leg, tighten your lower abs, and push your pelvis forward slightly. Don't arch your back. Stay upright.
   3. 3Lift the arm on your kneeling-leg side straight up toward the ceiling, keeping your ribs down.
   4. 4Lean slightly deeper into the stretch (pain permitting) while maintaining a neutral spine. A subtle lean toward the opposite side can increase the stretch.

   Why this exercise

   Tight hip flexor muscles can pull your spine into extension. The psoas major in particular can pull your lumbar spine into excessive arching (hyperlordosis) and contribute to anterior pelvic tilt. Reducing tension in the hip flexors helps reduce this pull on the spine.

   Make it easier

   • Keep your arm down instead of reaching overhead
   • Decrease depth of the stretch

   Make it harder

   • Increase depth of the stretch
   • Reach and lean farther
5. 

   Exercise 5

   Gentle mid-range cat-cow

   1 × 6-8 reps

   Favour the flexion (cat) side, mid-range. Do NOT extend into cow

   How to do it

   1. 1Start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
   2. 2Gently round your back up toward the ceiling (like an angry cat), staying in a comfortable mid-range rather than pushing into strong end-range. Only extend until you feel mild stiffening and then do not pass that range.
   3. 3Then slowly let your back sag slightly toward the floor (cow position), again staying in a mild, comfortable range.
   4. 4Move smoothly between these two positions for the prescribed number of repetitions, keeping your breathing relaxed and easy.
   5. 5Slow and controlled. Do not extend and arch aggressively and do not continue through painful motion.

   Why this exercise

   Motion can be medicine. Mid-range cat-cow helps reduce stiffness and reintroduce comfortable movement without cranking into end-range, which is where a lot of people get into trouble. This gentle exercise is intended to decrease stiffness and liberate motion - not to test how far you can round your back in each direction. In fact, that's the opposite of what we want to do. This exercise should be performed carefully and not immediately after waking up. Performing this exercise to the 'end range' in either flexion or extension can elicit pain for those suffering from back pain.

6. 

   Exercise 6

   Chin tucks (sitting or standing)

   2 × 5 reps, 5s hold

   How to do it

   1. 1Sit or stand tall with your shoulders relaxed and your eyes looking straight ahead.
   2. 2Gently draw your chin straight back as if making a "double chin," keeping your head level (do not tilt up or down).
   3. 3You should feel a mild stretch or activation at the base of your skull and the front of your neck, not pain.
   4. 4Hold briefly for the prescribed time, then relax and repeat for the recommended repetitions.

   Why this exercise

   Modern life is basically a chin-forward endurance sport. We are sitting at desks, staring at screens...then we go home and stare at more screens while slouching on the couch. Chin tucks help retrain neck flexors while stretching the posterior extensors. This helps correct a forward neck posture that most of us are guilty of. Get ready to show your double chin.

   Make it easier

   • Smaller movement (gentle glide back)
   • Shorter holds
   • Do it lying down (often easier to feel correctly)

   Make it harder

   • Longer holds / more reps
   • Add it into posture breaks (set-based habit)
7. 

   Exercise 7

   Seated good morning

   2 × 8

   Erector anchor: hands on thighs, partial lean, flat back. Stop at neutral at the top. No hyperextension

   How to do it

   1. 1Sit tall on a flat bench or the edge of a firm chair with your feet wide apart and knees bent so that your heels are roughly beneath your knees.
   2. 2Breathe in and brace your core.
   3. 3Hinge forward slowly while maintaining your brace and a neutral spine.
   4. 4Fight to keep a straight back and stop the movement when you feel that your back may begin to round.
   5. 5Drive down through your feet and push your hips forward into the bench to return to the starting position.

   Why this exercise

   A seated position increases stability and lets you build confidence with hinging at the hips before you try it standing. The extra stability means 100% of your attention can go to moving through the hips with a locked, neutral spine.

   Make it easier

   • Micro-hinge: lean only as far as stays comfortable, build over time
   • Rest your hands on your thighs to support your torso
   • Drop down a rung of the lever ladder

   Make it harder

   • Climb the lever ladder (longer lever = harder): (1) hands on thighs
   • Arms crossed on your chest
   • Hands behind your head (do not push your chin down)
   • Hug a weighted object to your chest (a book, water jug, or filled bag)
   • Increase the depth of the hinge (back must not round into flexion)
8. 

   Exercise 8

   Bodyweight hip hinge (hands on thighs)

   2 × 8

   How to do it

   1. 1Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
   2. 2Place your hands lightly on the tops of your thighs and gently brace your core.
   3. 3Push your hips back behind you slowly and slide your hands down your thighs for support. Imagine you are closing a car door with your butt, letting your chest tip forward while keeping your back straight.
   4. 4Stop when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings or if you notice your back beginning to round, then return to standing by driving your hips forward and straightening your legs.

   Why this exercise

   This is a skill drill, not a workout. It teaches you how to bend using hips and legs while keeping your trunk stable - basically the foundation for picking things up without relying on rounding your spine into flexion.

   Make it easier

   • Smaller hinge (hands don't slide far)
   • Practice against a wall (hips tap wall)

   Make it harder

   • Deeper hinge while staying neutral (spine)
   • Remove hand support gradually
   • Hold a light object, once the pattern is automatic
9. 

   Exercise 9

   Dead bug

   2 × 3/side × 3-5s hold

   Emphasized: anti-extension core. Lower the opposite arm + leg slowly, keep the low back gently flat

   How to do it

   1. 1Lie on your back with your arms reaching straight up toward the ceiling and your hips and knees bent to 90 degrees, so your shins are parallel to the floor.
   2. 2Gently flatten your low back toward the floor and brace your core, holding that contact the whole time.
   3. 3Slowly lower one arm overhead and the opposite leg toward the floor, going only as far as you can while keeping your low back flat.
   4. 4Return to the start with control and repeat on the other side, breathing steadily and moving slowly throughout.

   Why this exercise

   The dead bug trains your core to lock your spine in place while your arms and legs move, without loading your back. It is the anti-arch counterpart to the bird dog.

   Make it easier

   • Move only the legs, or only the arms
   • Shorten the range (lower the limb part-way)
   • Fewer reps

   Make it harder

   • Standard dead bug (lower one arm and the opposite leg, then return)
   • Same movement with a 3-second pause at full extension before returning
   • More reps once your low back stays flat the whole set
10. 

    Exercise 10

    Glute bridge (double-leg)

    2 × 8

    Stop at neutral. Do NOT hyperextend at the top

    How to do it

    1. 1Lie on your back with both knees bent and feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart.
    2. 2Gently brace your core and squeeze your glutes, then push through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
    3. 3Pause briefly at the top, and then lower your hips back down with control and repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.
    4. 4If this motion is too easy, then perform with a single leg.

    Why this exercise

    A strong back is best complemented by strong hips and legs. Glute bridges train hip extension, so your lower back can remain stable as your glutes and legs do the heavy lifting.

    Make it easier

    • No pause at the top
    • Bring your feet a bit closer to your bum

    Make it harder

    • Add a 2-3 second pause at the top
    • Single-leg glute bridge
    • Hip thrust
    • Single-leg hip thrust
    • Add resistance by placing a weight on your pelvis