Your 90-Second Routine
Do this every 2 hours. Tape it to your monitor.
- 1
Standing Backbend
×5 reps · hands on lower back · lean back as far as comfortable
- 2
Chin Tuck (Seated)
×10 reps · chin straight back · eyes level · hold 1 sec
- 3
Walk 2 Minutes
Around the office, down the hall — anywhere. Just stand up and move.
Your Exercises by Direction
Select your direction to see the full set. Not sure? Go to the Find Your Direction section.
Lying Face Down
Prone Lying
How to do it
Lie flat on your stomach, head turned to one side, arms relaxed at your sides. This is the starting position for the acute pain protocol — it gently begins to shift the spine toward extension. If this position alone reduces your pain after a minute or two, that's a good sign.
Acute: 1 rep (30–60 sec hold) · Every 2 hours
Propped Up on Elbows
Prone in Extension
How to do it
Lie face down and prop yourself up on your elbows, forearms flat on the floor. Let your lower back sag and relax toward the floor — don't tense your glutes. Hold for 30–60 seconds. This is a stepping stone between lying flat and the press-up.
Acute: 1 rep (30–60 sec hold) · Every 2 hours
The Press-Up
Extension in Lying
How to do it
Lie face down, place your hands under your shoulders like a push-up. Straighten your arms and push your upper body up while keeping your hips and pelvis on the floor. Let your lower back sag and relax completely — don't tense your glutes. This is the core back extension exercise.
Acute: ×10 reps · 6–8 sessions/day
Maintenance: ×10 reps · Once or twice daily
⚠ Stop if leg pain or numbness spreads further down your leg during this exercise — that means you're loading in the wrong direction.
Standing Backbend
Extension in Standing
How to do it
Stand with feet hip-width apart, place both hands on your lower back for support, and lean backward as far as comfortable. This is the portable version of Exercise 3 — ideal for micro-breaks at a desk, after long car trips, or whenever you can't get on the floor.
Acute: ×10 reps · 6–8 sessions/day
Maintenance: ×5–10 reps · 2–3 times daily · Use for desk micro-breaks
Flexion exercises are for people whose pain gets worse with extension (backward bending) and improves with forward bending. If you haven't confirmed your direction yet, find it first.
Knees to Chest
Flexion in Lying
How to do it
Lie on your back, bring both knees toward your chest, and gently pull them closer with your hands. This is a flexion exercise — use it only if extension exercises (1–4) don't help, make things worse, or if you've been told you have spinal stenosis.
Acute: ×10 reps · Every 2–3 hours · Only if extension exercises aren't helping
Do not use this as a warm-up for the back. It's a treatment choice, not a general stretch.
Seated Forward Fold
Flexion in Sitting
How to do it
Sit in a chair, then lean forward between your knees, reaching your hands toward the floor or grasping your ankles. A progression of Exercise 5 — only add this once Knees to Chest is comfortable and reducing your pain.
Acute: ×10 reps · Once daily · Only after Exercise 5 is well tolerated
Standing Toe Touch
Flexion in Standing
How to do it
Stand and slowly bend forward toward your toes. The most demanding of the flexion exercises — only introduce this after Exercises 5 and 6 are comfortable. Never use this as a morning stretch when your back is already sore.
Acute: ×10 reps · Once daily · Only after Exercises 5 + 6 are comfortable
Lateral correction is typically used as the first step before moving to extension exercises. Follow each Side Glide set immediately with the Press-Up (Extension Ex 3). Clinical guidance is especially helpful here.
Side Glide
Self-Correction of Lateral Shift
How to do it
Stand sideways next to a wall, arm's length away. Place your elbow against the wall at shoulder height. Keeping your shoulders level and feet planted, push your hips toward the wall while allowing your upper body to lean away. A clinician can guide the direction — if unsure which side to glide toward, try the side away from your pain first.
Acute: ×10 reps · 6–8 sessions/day · Always follow with Extension in Lying (Ex 3)
⚠ Stop if leg symptoms increase or spread further down.
Clinical guidance is helpful for this exercise — direction matters and an MDT clinician can confirm.
The Press-Up
Extension in Lying
How to do it
Lie face down, place your hands under your shoulders like a push-up. Straighten your arms and push your upper body up while keeping your hips and pelvis on the floor. Let your lower back sag and relax completely — don't tense your glutes. This is the core back extension exercise.
Acute: ×10 reps · 6–8 sessions/day
Maintenance: ×10 reps · Once or twice daily
⚠ Stop if leg pain or numbness spreads further down your leg during this exercise — that means you're loading in the wrong direction.
Press-Up with Hips Off-Centre
Extension in Lying — Lateral Modification
How to do it
Perform the standard press-up but shift your hips 3–4 inches to one side before pushing up. This introduces a lateral component to the extension movement. Use this when the standard press-up doesn't fully centralize sciatica or unilateral leg pain.
Acute: ×10 reps · Start with hips away from the painful side
⚠ Stop if leg symptoms increase or spread further down.