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Physiotherapist Jennifer Sartor
Updated 18-7-25
1Lumbar Extension
10 reps
Five times / day
  • Lying on your stomach, placing your hands under your shoulders.
  • Breathe in and on the breathe out, gently press through the palm of hands.
  • Begin to lift your chest off the mat while straightening your arms.
  • Make sure to keep your hips firmly pressed into the floor and keep your buttocks relaxed.
  • Start by going nice and slowly into the movement, only going to the limit of your available movement.
  • Do not push into pain.
  • Hold the position for a few seconds at the top.
  • Lower your chest slowly and return to the starting position.
  • Repeat as instructed by your physiotherapist.
2Lumbar Extension
10 reps
Three times / day
  • Stand with your hands in the small of your back.
  • Begin to lean backwards, within comfortable limits.
  • As you progress through the repetitions, continue easing into the range of motion available to you.
  • Repeat as per Physiotherapist guidelines.
3Book Opening
5 reps
Twice / day
  • 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.
4Squat
3 sets of 10 reps
  • Standing with your feet hip distance apart.
  • Have both feet facing forward.
  • Think about leading the movement from your sit bones.
  • Gently bend your knees and then swing your sit bones behind you.
  • Let your trunk lean forward while trying to keep your spine aligned.
  • Keep the back of your neck nice and long with your chin tucked in.
  • Go to the depth that feels comfortable for you but not below 90 degrees – you should feel tightness at the back of the thigh.
  • Press through your feet in the ground and come back up into standing position reversing the movement.
5Plank [Full]
  • Come into a 4-point kneeling position and reach the hands in front of the shoulders.
  • Press through the hands as you curl the toes under and straighten the knees.
  • There should now be a straight horizontal line from the head to the tailbone.
  • Draw the lower belly away from the waist band of your pants.
  • Ensure that the buttocks remains in line with the shoulders.
  • Note: this can also be performed on the elbows if the wrists are limiting.

6Biceps Curl
  • Stand, holding a dumbbell with the chest proud.
  • Position the hands palm up.
  • Keeping the elbow in line with the side body draw the wrist up towards the shoulder.
  • Control the return.
7Deadbug
3 sets of 10 reps
  • 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.
8Bridge [Staggered]
15 reps
  • Come into a lying position on the mat with the hands by your side.
  • This will reduce the amount of support provided by the upper limb.
  • Bend the knees with the heels in line with the sit bones.
  • Position the feet in a staggered position with the target foot closest to you.
  • Press through the feet to lift the hips up.
  • Focus on keeping the pelvis level.
  • Repeat as per Physiotherapist guidelines.