1Side Plank [Kneeling]
- Come into a side lying position with the elbow stacked directly underneath the shoulder resting on the outside aspect of your arm.
- Bend the knees so the heels are in line with the buttocks.
- Place the hand onto the hip or extend the arm to the roof.
- With the weight in the knees and the elbow, lift the hips towards the roof.
- Ensure the buttocks moves forwards and doesn’t arch out from the lower back.
with top leg straight; lifting + lowering top leg
2Deadbug
- Lie on your back with knees bent up.
- Slowly one leg at a time bring your legs into tabletop position.
- Extend both arms to the ceiling directly in front of your chest.
- Extend opposite arm and opposite leg away from your trunk breathing out as you do.
- Bring the arm and leg back to the start point while breathing in.
- Repeat on the opposite side or as prescribed by your Physiotherapist.
Regress by: arms remaining still; placing them on floor beside hips
3Cervical Retraction
- Stand or sit with an upright posture.
- Draw the chin slightly down and back.
- The movement you are aiming for is a horizontal translation, like a lollypop on a stick.
- A prompt which may be helpful is “imagine giving yourself a double chin”.
- You will feel a gentle activation of the muscles in the anterior aspect of the neck.
3x/day
4Row
- Secure the resistance band to a door handle or pole.
- Keep the resistance point in line with the belly button.
- With a proud chest and thumbs pointing towards the roof, pull the band. back maintaining the bend in the elbow.
- As you pull back, focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together.
- Control the return.
5Book Opening
- Lie on your side with your head supported and your knees bent up to 80-90 degrees.
- Place your arms in front of you in front of your chest with hands together.
- Lift your top arm up and over your body towards the floor behind you drawing a semicircle.
- Rotate with the breastbone and ensure the pelvis remains still.
- Hold at the end of movement for a breath.
- Lift the arm up and reverse the semicircle movement until back at the start.
- Complete as per Physiotherapist guidelines.
6Abdominals Hover
- Complete on a soft surface such as an exercise mat.
- Position the wrists directly under the shoulders and the knees under the hips.
- Engage the core by drawing the lower belly away from the waistband of the pants.
- Curl the toes under and lift the knees off the ground.
- Hold as per Physiotherapist guidelines.
Progress to x1 set as bear crawl x6
7Chair Squat [Deep]
- Come into standing in front of a low chair with the height prescribed by your Physiotherapist.
- The feet should be hip width apart.
- Bend the knees and send the bottom back to the chair.
- Use the arms outstretched as a counterbalance.
- Tap the bottom to the chair and rise.
with band around knees
8Single Leg Bridge [Elevated]
- Position yourself near a stable elevated surface (e.g., a bench or step) and place one heel on it while keeping the other leg extended.
- Lie back and ensure your elevated knee remains at a 30° angle.
- Press through the heel on the elevated surface, lifting your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to the elevated knee.
- Hold the top position briefly while engaging your hamstrings and core.
- Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position with control.
- Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.
With both legs on step
9Step Up [Controlled]
- Step onto a step with your affected side.
- On a count of 3, slowly step up with the unaffected side and tap your foot on the step.
- On a count of 3, slowly step down backwards with your unaffected side, tapping your toe on the ground.
- Focus on control in your affected side, take weight through it and trying to keep your knee aligned over your 2nd toe.
- Repeat this as many times as your Physiotherapist has prescribed.
10Chin Tuck
- Lie down on your back.
- Using the small, deeper muscles in your neck, draw your chin downwards.
- Hold this position for 5 seconds.
- Repeat 10 times, or as prescribed by your Physiotherapist.
- Try not to use the large superficial neck muscles. Watch the video at the bottom of this page to know what this feels like.
11Adductors Stretch
- For this mobility exercise you may want to utilise a mat underneath the knees or a soft surface.
- Come onto all fours with the knees stacked underneath the hips and the wrists underneath the shoulders.
- Extend the target limb to the side, keeping the sole of the foot flat on the ground.
- To intensify the stretch, press through the hands and rock the bottom towards the heels.
- Sustain this stretch as advised by your treating Physiotherapist.
12Adductors Release
- Sit comfortably on a chair with both feet flat on the ground and your back upright.
- Use your thumbs to palpate the inner thigh near the groin, close to the pelvis, and locate a tender or tight spot in the adductor muscles.
- Once you’ve found the trigger point, apply firm but tolerable pressure with your thumbs.
- While maintaining pressure, lift the same-side hip slightly off the chair.
- Turn your foot inward and your knee outward, mimicking the movement as if you were trying to cross your legs.
- Hold this position and pressure as prescribed by your physiotherapist.
- Test: Try to cross your legs before completing this exercise, then try again after. If you’ve done it correctly, it should become easier.
13Hip Flexor Stretch- Kneeling
- Kneeling in a lunge position, keep your trunk over your pelvis.
- Your weight is on the leg underneath the body, the front leg is at a 90-degree bend.
- Gently tuck your tail.
- You should feel a stretch in the front of the hip on the leg behind and down into the thigh itself.
- Sustain as per Physiotherapist guidelines.