Session 34

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

1. 

   Exercise 1

   Bird Dog

   1-2 × 3/side, light holds

   Keep the groove, don't push

   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)
2. 

   Exercise 2

   Curl-up

   1-2 sets, light

   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)
3. 

   Exercise 3

   Side Plank (from feet)

   1-2 holds/side, light

   How to do it

   1. 1Lie on your side with your legs straight, elbow under your shoulder, and body in a straight line from elbow 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

   Same idea as the knees version, just more difficult due to the longer lever from being on your feet instead of your knees! This is the middle rung of the side-plank ladder.

   Make it easier

   • Back to knees version
   • Stagger feet for a wider base
   • Shorter holds with perfect alignment

   Make it harder

   • Longer holds
   • Lift your top leg a few inches and hold it (abduction) while you brace
   • Add resistance (a weight or object) onto your side while you hold
4. 

   Exercise 4

   Gentle mid-range cat-cow

   1 × 5-8 reps

   Stay mid-range. Don't flex far into cat

   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.

5. 

   Exercise 5

   Chin tucks (sitting or standing)

   2 × 8 reps, 8s 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)
6. 

   Exercise 6

   Shoulder-blade squeezes

   2 × 8 reps, 8-10s hold

   How to do it

   1. 1Sit or stand tall with your shoulders relaxed. Raise your arms out in front of you.
   2. 2Pull your elbows and arms straight back and imagine trying to touch your elbows together behind your back.
   3. 3If you have access to a gym, or weights, rowing movements or reverse pec-decks are what we're aiming for.
   4. 4Pause briefly at the end position, squeezing and feeling the muscles between your shoulder blades work, then return slowly and repeat for the prescribed repetitions.

   Why this exercise

   When upper back/neck symptoms are part of the picture, restoring scapular control is often a big win. This builds endurance in the "posture muscles" and helps make us aware of what muscles should activate to correct our posture.

7. 

   Exercise 7

   Gentle thoracic rotations (open-book)

   1 × 8/side

   How to do it

   1. 1Start lying on your side with knees bent to 90 degrees and your arms stretched out straight at 90 degrees(open-book position).
   2. 2Slowly rotate your upper body to open your chest, letting your top arm move away from the other than remains on the supporting surface.
   3. 3Move only into a comfortable range, pause briefly, then return to the starting position and repeat for the prescribed repetitions on each side.

   Why this exercise

   A stiff mid-back often forces your low back or neck to move more than they'd like. Open-book helps restore rotation where it's supposed to come from (thoracic spine) in a controlled, comfortable way. Perform this slowly and under control.

8. 

   Exercise 8

   Standing arm sweeps

   1 × 10 reps

   How to do it

   1. 1Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart and your shoulders relaxed.
   2. 2Bring your hands together behind your back or clasp them lightly if your shoulders allow.
   3. 3With straight arms, sweep them out to the sides and then up overhead in a smooth arc while keeping your trunk still and stable.
   4. 4Lower your arms back down in front of you or to your sides and repeat for the prescribed repetitions, keeping the movement comfortable and controlled.

   Why this exercise

   A simple way to open up shoulder motion and wake up the upper back without twisting or bending the trunk. Do your best to not sway or bend your arms. It is okay if your shoulders are a little cranky doing this, they'll warm up to it after a few movements.

9. 

   Exercise 9

   Standing hamstring stretch

   1 × 20-30s/side

   Neutral spine, low step. 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