Back Exercises

Consult your physical therapist before attempting these exercises.

Prone Position

Lay flat on your stomach. Concentrate on relaxing your lower back muscles. Maintain this position for 60 seconds.

Prone on Elbows

Raise your head and chest up, resting on your forearms. Relax your lower back muscles. Do not lift your hips or pelvis. Maintain this position for 60 seconds.

Prone Press Up

Lift your chest up by extending your elbows.  Relax your lower back muscles.  Do not lift up your pelvis.  The pelvis remains in contact with the floor.  Hold for 2 seconds, but repeat the motion 10 times.

The Angry Cat Stretch

Beginning on your hands and knees, with your back straight.  You then arch your back up as far as you can comfortably.  Hold for 30 seconds.

Hamstring Stretch

Place a towl behind the back of your calf.  Pull towel toward you as shown. Try to keep your knee as straight as possible. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

Hip Flexor Stretch

In sidelying, grasp your ankle/foot and bend your knee as shown.  Pull your foot toward your buttocks until you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh.  Hold for 30 seconds.

Piriformis Stretch

Place ankle on opposite knee. This rotates the hip to be stretched. Pull both knee up toward your chest as shown.  Hold this position for 30 seconds.

Lower Trunk Rotation Stretch

Begin by laying flat on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.  Keeping your upper back and shoulders flat on the floor, rotate your hips and knees to one side until a stretch is felt.  Keep knees and feet together.  Hold stretch for 30 seconds.  Stretch to both sides.

Alternate exercise:
Same position as above.  Rotate from one side to the other.  Hold position only 2 seconds, repeat exercise 15 times to each side.

Single Knee to Chest Stretch

Begin by laying on your back, knees bent and feet on the floor.  Pull one knee up to your chest until you feel a stretch in your lower back and buttocks.  Hold position for 30 seconds.  Repeat on both sides.

Double Knee to Chest Stretch

Begin by laying on your back, knees bent and feet on the floor.  Pull both knees up to your chest until you feel a stretch in your lower back and buttocks.  Hold position for 30 seconds.

Low Back Stretch (prone)

Begin on your hands and knees.  Drop your buttocks down on to your heels.  Stretch your hand out in front of you as far as you can.  Drop your head down.  You should feel a stretch in the muscles along your spine.  Hold position for 30 seconds.

Piriformis Stretch With Trunk Rotation

Hold position as shown for 30 seconds.

Straight Leg Raise

Tighten your abdominal muscles.  Tighten the muscles on the top of your thigh (the quads).  Keep the other knee bent.  Lift exercising leg up in the air 8-12 inches from the floor.  Hold 3 seconds and then lower the leg.  Repeat 15 times on each side.

Advanced technique:
Once your leg is elevated, draw three small circles with your foot before lowering your leg.  Repeat 15 times.

Pelvic Tilt

Begin in the position shown in the picture.  Tighten abdominal muscles and press the small of your back down against the floor.  Hold 5 seconds.  Repeat 15 times.

Abdominal Crunches

Keep the small of your back on the floor.  Elevate head and shoulders up to the position shown.  Repeat 30 times.

Prone Opposite Arm and Leg Lifts

Begin in prone position and with arms extended in front of you.  Lift right arm/left leg at the same time.  Hold for 3 seconds then relax.  Repeat exercise on left arm/right leg. Hold for 3 seconds then relax.  Repeat exercise 15 times on each side.

You will be alternating from one side to the other after each repetition.

Quadruped Opposite Arm/Leg Lift

Begin on your hands and knees.  Extend your right arm and left leg as shown.  Hold this position for 3 seconds then relax to starting position.  Now lift your left arm and right leg as shown.  Hold for 3 seconds then relax.  Repeat 15 times on each side.

You will be alternating from one side to the other after each repetition.

Bridging

Begin laying flat on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.  Lift your pelvis upward to position as shown.  Hold for 3 seconds.  Slowly lower yourself down. Repeat 30 times.

Bridging with Straight Leg Raise

Begin laying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.  Lift your pelvis upward then raise your leg straight as shown in the photo.  Maintain this position for 3 seconds then return to starting position.

Standing Squats

With your feet a little more than shoulder width apart, squat down, keeping your back straight.  Repeat 10 times.