Session 20

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

1. 

   Exercise 1

   Seated sciatic nerve slider

   20+ slow reps/side

   Slightly more range if tolerated, still gentle. Can't comfortably hold your leg up? Swap in the lying slider: same drill, with the floor doing the holding. ⚠️ Peripheralizing (symptoms moving DOWN the leg) → stop. Centralizing (retreating toward the spine) → continue. Progressive weakness, saddle numbness, or bladder/bowel changes → seek medical care.

   How to do it

   1. 1Sit tall near the front edge of a chair with both feet flat on the floor.
   2. 2Bring your leg and chin up together: straighten your working leg out in front of you while you lift your chin and look up. The leg stays extended from here on.
   3. 3Now sync your ankle and your head. Pull your toes back toward you as your chin lifts up, then point your toes away as your chin drops down toward your chest.
   4. 4Repeat that rhythm, slow and steady, for 20 or more reps, then switch legs. The rhythm matters more than the range: ankle and chin move together, like they're on the same string.
   5. 5STOP rule: if symptoms spread further DOWN your leg (peripheralizing), stop for the day. If they draw back UP toward your spine (centralizing), continue. Progressive weakness, saddle or groin numbness, or any bladder or bowel changes mean stop and seek medical care.

   Why this exercise

   This is the preferred slider because the synchronized head movement keeps neural tension low. When your toes pull back, the nerve is tugged from the bottom end; lifting your chin at that same moment feeds in slack from the top, so the nerve slides through its path instead of being stretched at both ends. Floss sliding back and forth, not a rope pulled tight.

   Make it easier

   • Can't hold your leg up comfortably? Use the lying slider instead; the floor does the holding.
   • Soften the knee; the leg doesn't need to be perfectly straight.
   • Smaller ankle and head movements.

   Make it harder

   • More reps (25-30 per leg) before anything else.
   • A slightly straighter knee, only if symptoms stay calm.
2. 

   Exercise 2

   Bird Dog

   2 × 3/side, holds building toward 5s

   Perfectly neutral spine: no sag, no arch

   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)
3. 

   Exercise 3

   Curl-up

   2 × 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)
4. 

   Exercise 4

   Side Plank (from knees)

   2 holds/side × 8-10s

   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)
5. 

   Exercise 5

   Seated good morning

   2 × 10

   Arms crossed on chest: fuller, controlled range, STRICT neutral spine

   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)
6. 

   Exercise 6

   Bodyweight hip hinge (hands on thighs)

   2 × 10 (more confident, deeper hinge, braced neutral spine)

   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
7. 

   Exercise 7

   Glute bridge (double-leg)

   2 × 8 per side

   Neutral top → progress to single-leg glute bridge once the double-leg version is easy

   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
8. 

   Exercise 8

   Step-ups

   2 × 8/side (low step, controlled)

   How to do it

   1. 1Stand facing a stable low step or platform with your feet about hip-width apart.
   2. 2Place one foot firmly on the raised surface, lean your body slightly forward over that leg, and gently brace your core.
   3. 3Push through the heel of the front foot to straighten that leg and bring your body up onto the step.
   4. 4Slowly lower back down with control, lightly tapping the other foot to the floor before repeating for the prescribed repetitions on each leg.
   5. 5Stairs are a great location for this as they often have railings for additional balance support.

   Why this exercise

   Step-ups are simple, functional leg strength with built-in balance work. Great for building walking/stairs capacity and easing back into 'real life strength' without needing a gym setup.

   Make it easier

   • Lower step
   • Hold a railing or fingertip support
   • Reduce reps and go slower

   Make it harder

   • Higher step/platform
   • Add load by holding a weight in one hand
   • Slow eccentric (3-4 seconds down) if your next-day response behaves
9. 

   Exercise 9

   Dead bug

   2 × 5/side

   Heel slides: slide the heel out keeping the low back 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