Session 8

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

1. 

   Exercise 1

   Bench / countertop decompression lean

   30-60s holds, as needed

   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

   Prone tummy lying (relaxed)

   ~3 min

   How to do it

   1. 1Lie on your stomach on a firm but comfortable surface, such as a mat or bed.
   2. 2Position a small pillow or folded towel under your hips or chest if that makes the position more comfortable. This helps me a lot as I'm sensitive to extension.
   3. 3Let your legs relax and rest your head in a comfortable position, either turned to one side or supported on your hands.
   4. 4If you're able to, gently begin lifting your head and chest to enter slight extension by resting on your elbow or through the use of a pillow.
   5. 5Breathe slowly into your belly and allow your back and hips to relax, staying in this position for the prescribed time as long as symptoms remain tolerable.

   Why this exercise

   For some people (especially when bending forward aggravates symptoms), gentle extension-biased positions can calm things down. This is the lowest-intensity "try it and see" version. The concept is simple: if forward bending elicits pain, then lying on your tummy passively shifts your nucleus pulposus of your discs anteriorly, giving relief to the posterior structures that may have been compressed by the nucleus. Going into extension further exaggerates this and can provide additional relief to some.

   Make it easier

   • Pillow under hips/chest
   • Shorter time

   Make it harder

   • Gradually reduce pillow height
   • Move to elbows (small extension) if tolerated
3. 

   Exercise 3

   Standing hamstring stretch

   1 × 20-30s/side

   Foot on a low step, tall spine. Skip if you have leg or nerve symptoms

   How to do it

   1. 1Stand facing a low step or sturdy support and place one heel on it with the knee straight or slightly soft.
   2. 2Keep your chest up and a gentle arch in your low back, then hinge forward slightly from your hips.
   3. 3Lean until you feel a comfortable stretch along the back of your thigh, avoiding bouncing or forcing the position.
   4. 4Hold for the prescribed time while breathing, then return to standing and repeat on the other leg.

   Why this exercise

   Think of the standing variant as a mobility-friendly version of the seated stretch. Same goal, but easier to get into and easier to keep a neutral spine, and you can do it quickly on almost any raised surface.

   Make it easier

   • Lower the height of the support
   • Softer knee (slight knee bend)
   • Shorter holds

   Make it harder

   • Slightly higher support
   • Longer holds
   • Add a gentle hip hinge (not rounding) to target the hamstrings, not your discs
4. 

   Exercise 4

   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
5. 

   Exercise 5

   Hip flexor stretch (half-kneeling)

   1 × 20-30s/side

   Don't arch your back

   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
6. 

   Exercise 6

   Gentle mid-range cat-cow

   1 × 6-8 reps

   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.

7. 

   Exercise 7

   Bird Dog

   1 × 3/side × 5s hold

   Brace your core gently before each rep

   How to do it

   1. 1Start on hands and knees with your knees directly below your hips and hands below shoulders.
   2. 2Breathe in and brace your core, then slowly extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back without letting your low back sag or twist (the raised arm and leg should be parallel with the floor). Hold for the prescribed time in the extended position, then return and switch sides.

   Why this exercise

   Life is basically 'keep your trunk stable while a limb does something.' Bird dogs trains that skill. Another favourite of Dr. Stuart McGill's and the final exercise of his 'big 3'.

   Make it easier

   • Arm-only reach
   • Leg-only reach (toe slide back)
   • Shorter holds

   Make it harder

   • Longer holds and more repetitions
   • Slower tempo (3-5 seconds out, 3-5 back)
   • Increase the width of your hands and knees on the floor (the width of your base)
8. 

   Exercise 8

   Curl-up

   1 × 5 reps × 5s hold

   How to do it

   1. 1Lie on your back with one knee bent and the other leg straight, hands gently under your low back to keep a small natural arch.
   2. 2Breathe in to expand your belly and brace your core lightly as if someone is about to poke your belly, then lift your head, shoulders, and upper back just a few centimetres off the floor without curling all the way up.
   3. 3Hold the curl-up for the prescribed time, then slowly lower and repeat as directed.

   Why this exercise

   This modified curl-up was popularized by Dr. Stuart McGill. It teaches you to brace and create support around your low back while the hands tucked underneath stop your spine from flexing.

   Make it easier

   • Shorten the range of your curl-up (barely lift your shoulders from the floor)
   • Shorter holds/fewer reps
   • Rest longer between reps

   Make it harder

   • Longer holds
   • Increase the range of motion of your curl-up (lift shoulders a little further) without performing a full sit-up
   • Graduate to the front plank (start on your knees if needed)
9. 

   Exercise 9

   Side Plank (from knees)

   2 holds/side × 5-8s

   How to do it

   1. 1Lie on your side with knees bent, elbow under your shoulder, and body in a straight line from knees to shoulders.
   2. 2Lightly brace, then lift your hips so your body forms a straight line; hold for the prescribed time, breathing steadily, then lower with control and repeat on both sides.

   Why this exercise

   Your spine likes being supported from all sides. Side planks test your core from a new angle and build strength in your quadratus lumborum muscles and your obliques. From your knees is the bottom rung, with a shorter lever to start on.

   Make it easier

   • Shorter holds
   • Do it with your back against a wall for stability

   Make it harder

   • Longer holds
   • Graduate to side plank from your feet (a longer lever)
10. 

    Exercise 10

    Seated good morning

    2 × 8

    Erector anchor: hands on thighs, partial lean, strict brace, flat back

    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)
11. 

    Exercise 11

    Bodyweight hip hinge (hands on thighs)

    2 × 8

    Cornerstone skill: brace your core, neutral spine, keep it controlled

    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
12. 

    Exercise 12

    Glute bridge (double-leg)

    2 × 8

    Squeeze glutes, ribs down

    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
13. 

    Exercise 13

    Lifting light object from floor

    2 × 3

    Graded lifting practice: a very light object, braced hinge, kept close to the body

    How to do it

    1. 1Stand close to the object on the floor so you don't have to reach for it. The further it sits from your body, the harder it pulls on your spine.
    2. 2Set your feet about hip-width apart, soften your knees, and take a firm breath in to brace your core hard, like you're about to be poked in the stomach. Hold that brace.
    3. 3Push your hips back and hinge forward with a flat back (do not round), then grip the object with both hands and pull it in tight against your body.
    4. 4Keeping the object close and the brace locked, drive your hips forward and straighten your legs to stand. Do not twist: if you need to turn, turn with your feet.
    5. 5Lower the object back down with the same flat-back hinge, staying braced and keeping it close the whole way.

    Why this exercise

    Eventually you have to pick things up, so this is graded exposure: rebuild your tolerance to load by drilling the lift itself, one small step at a time, with a strict brace and the object kept close to your body.

    Make it easier

    • Raise the start height (lift from a chair or step) so you hinge less far
    • Step back down the load ladder to a lighter object

    Make it harder

    • Climb the load ladder: a light object
    • A heavier everyday household object
    • A loaded bag (a backpack or shopping bag you can fill)
    • Lower the start position closer to the floor
    • Once lifting is solid, add the loaded carry