Can be done seated, standing, or on hands and knees on the ground. Seated/Standing - sit with hands on knees or stand with hands on hips, for flexion drop your head to look at your belly let the back relax and make a C curve behind you, then reverse, looking up to the ceiling and pushing the belly forward, this is extension, let the pelvis come into the stretch and rock on the chair, try to get the whole spine but primarily the low back involved. Rotation - hold your hands out in front of you like a diamond and try to keep the diamond shape rotating as far as you can right and left. Lateral flexion or Side bending - hand can keep the diamond shape in front of you or go up over your head or if standing can be straight down your sides. Keeping you hips in one place lean like you are trying to touch your shoulder to hips, if standing with arms down your sides, reach your hand sliding down your leg to try to touch your knee. On Hands and Knees, we often know this movement as Cat/cow for flexion and extension - face to look at belly, and then belly down to floor looking up. Side bending: try to let shoulder touch the hip bending the side. For rotation, plant one hand under your chest and let the other one raise up to the ceiling as far as you can, you can also then bring it down and thread it under the other arm and let the shoulder come to rest on the floor called thread the needle - and then repeat on the other side.
Child’s Pose + Standing Variation
Low Back Strength Exercise
swimmers
Foundation Training
Decompression Breathing Tutorial
Anchoring Tutorial
Basic Founder
Psoas Stretching - Variations
Stretches for Muscles attaching to pelvis that affect low back
(these are also helpful for hip and knee issues)
For each section of stretches below - choose one variation and hold each side for 30-60secs, and try to do it 5xweek
Standing Lunge
Kneeling Lunge
Nerve Floss Lunge
Lunge on Bench or Stairs
Laying on back with foam roller
Passive - one leg on chair one leg out straight
Glute/Piriformis
Figure 4 stretch on back
in Chair Seated
Nerve Floss Lunge
Lunge on Bench or Stairs
Manual Release with Tennis Ball or Lacross Ball
Passive - one leg on chair one leg out straight
Quad
Foam Roller
Front Quad Line
Lateral Quad Line
IT Band
Inner Thigh/Adductors
Manual Release with Tennis Ball or Lacross Ball
On Foam roller with Figure 4
Standing stretch
Standing with Chair for stability
If you can't reach to hold your leg or puts too much pressure on Knee - put foot on a chair
Strap Assist
laying on floor (can also be done side lying)
Hamstring
Feet up the wall
Seated with Strap
Single Leg- Strap Option - Keep Back Straight - Avoid Flexion
Standing - single leg on chair
Wide Leg Folded Founder
Roll bottom of foot
- Roll bottom of feet with tennis ball or lacross ball
- bottom of facial chain
- can release tension from legs, low back all the way up to the neck
Roll and stretch Calves
Strength
building strength to create stability is super important choose 1 version of each type of exercise and try to work up to 3 sets of 10-20 reps
Glute Ham Bridge
Double Leg with Weight
Glute Ham Bridge
Double Leg with Weight
Glute Ham Bridge
Double Leg with Weight
Glute Ham Bridge
Squats
Door Knob Squat - 10-20 reps
open door, hold door knob/handle with both hands one on each side, bring feet close to the door about hip with apart or slightly wider and feet turned out slightly, lean back with a little weight in the hands, sit back with back straight bringing hips down until thighs are at least parallel to the ground - or as close to ground as you can. Bonus: can also do with an exercise band around thighs right above knees to keep glute med active and working.
squat with chair
The chair is there as a guide to make sure you go low enough in your squat but also to catch you if you have trouble getting back up. Stand with feet slightly turned out and slightly wider than hip width apart. Keeping eyes straight forward and chest up - keep torso as upright as you can through the entire squat, bring hips to touch chair. Progression, add exercise band around knees, add weight in hands holding with two hands arms bent with weight close to chest
Free Squat/ Free Lunge
Gluteus Medius: aka Glut Med
- good for Pelvic Stability - choose 1 from below and do each side to exhaustion for ~20 reps
Clam shells with Band
Clam shells with band in side plank
Squat "crab" walks with band @knees
Core
Dead Bug - 10x each side
Hollow Body Hold
Hollow body - progression knees bent to straight
Plank
Can Also - lift feet off the ground one at a time to exercise hip extension
Hollow body - progression knees bent to straight work up to holding for 60seconds - bonus challenge multiple rounds of 60sec
Reach for the toes - activate adductors by squeezing a block between the ankles - 10x center, 10x each side
The best way to schedule an appointment is to use our online booking system, or send a text with your name and preferred appointment day(s) / time(s) to 510- 394-5035. We will find a time for you in the schedule ASAP!