Back Strength and Stability Program
Welcome to the Back Strength and Stability Program!
If you want to quick link to the program, it’s here.
#ybcbackprogram
A little about me: The goal of the program is to help you feel better in your body. I am a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and an E-RYT 500hr Yoga Teacher with a strong background in anatomy and mindfulness. Using my education and real world experience training clients, I’ve developed this ongoing program with a five pillar approach to relieving back pain covering: Mindset, Mindfulness, Intentional Workouts, Foam rolling/Self Myofascial Release, and Breathing. Just like the body, these five pillars are all connected. That is, just doing the workouts without also doing the mindfulness, mindset techniques, breathwork and foam rolling won’t get you where you want to go. In order to have success with this program, I strongly encourage you to embrace each pillar of the program, because they each complement one another.
Logistics, Planning and Duration
The program is designed with four workouts per week. You can arrange these within your week any way you’d like. You could do Workout 1 on a Monday, and then if Tuesday is busy for you, do Workout 2 on a Wednesday. They do not need to be done one right after the other on consecutive days. With that said, if you want to foam roll or do dead bugs or glute bridges on your rest days, you can. I wouldn’t recommend repeating the full workouts on days where you’re meant to rest because when we’re working with muscle imbalance, it’s important to ease into it.
The Workouts
The entire workout shouldn’t take much longer than an hour, if that. If you don’t have a full hour, you can break up the foam rolling, doing it first thing in the morning and before bed, if you’d like. You will need a foam roller (I recommend this high density one), and resistance band (honestly, I feel like they’re all the same, but this set is good). You’ll also need a set of dumbbells (any weight). For foot release, you may also want to get a lacrosse ball (or if there’s room in the budget, these are great), but if you don’t have a ball at your disposal, you can simply massage the bottoms of your feet. And lastly, set of sliders (or paper plates can work on carpeting, or washcloths on hardwood flooring)
Each workout starts and ends with foam rolling and SMFR (Self Myofascial Release). This is a very important pillar in the program because it helps to address muscles that are too tight due to muscle imbalance. You can see in the photo on the left, the immediate impact of foam rolling. My client’s shoulder was extremely low on one side. That usually means the other side is very tight, so we focused on foam rolling the upper left trap (our right, her left). I also suspected, based on the position of her feet and the way her shirt fell, that her right low back (our left) was tight, so we also foam rolled the QL. You can see the immediate difference. Simply through foam rolling, we were able to bring both shoulders nearly even, and the hips even as well. The release of the QL also impacted her stance, you can see the right foot (our left) doesn’t turn out as much, although there is a huge mindfulness piece that she’s working on now to remind herself to actively turn the feet forward. You can see from the before and after just how important foam rolling is to bringing balance to your body!
The foam rolling and SMFR shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes or so, unless you are very tense and tender, in which case, it may take longer. In addition to helping release tightness, the other benefits of foam rolling are to gently warm up and cool down the muscles, and increase circulation. You’ll want to do a quick passover of the muscle, and if you don’t feel much, you can move on to the next movement. If, however, it feels tender, you’ll want to hold for at least 30 seconds of 8 full breaths. This will help the muscle to relax and you’ll therefore be creating more balance through your muscles. But stay mindful and present as you do this, you only want to hold on muscles that are feeling tender.
After the foam rolling section, you’ll have a section called Posture Check, Breath and Mindset. This section will always include a review of the video on how to diaphragmatically breathe, and tell you to take ten diaphragmatic breaths. This is an easy part to skip, but the breath work is really important, and goes hand in hand with a healthy back. Proper posture is required for proper breathing, so it helps to improve posture. It also helps to decrease stress, which we know has a negative physical impact on our bodies, and our typical response to stress can further aggravate irritated muscles. Proper breathing brings us more connected to our pelvic floor, and a healthy pelvic floor is also important for back health as well. In this section, you may also have one specific exercise for posture, or a guided meditation on posture. The purpose of this section is to practice intentional breathing, become more self-aware of your posture, and help shift your mindset to be more positive.
The following section is called Workout and each exercise will be written below with three numbers. For example: 8 - 10 - 12 Dead Bugs. The numbers refer to level of the athlete. The first number represents the repetitions of each movement for beginners. The second number is for intermediate, and the third number is for advanced. So with the Dead Bug example, beginners would do 8 Dead Bugs, intermediate would do 10 Dead Bugs and Advanced will do 12 Dead Bugs. Each exercise will be linked, taking you to the a video where I demonstrate the movement and give pointers. Eventually, you’ll know the movements and won’t have to watch each demo video. For the first week, the workouts may take you longer, as you watch each video for each movement. At the end of the set, it’ll say how many sets to do if you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced.
The reps and some of the movements change every two weeks. So it’ll say Weeks 1 and 2, and the four workouts will be below it. You’ll do those workouts for weeks one and two. Then, it’ll say Weeks 3 and 4, and you’ll see the four workouts below that. Simply do those workouts for weeks three and four. It’s very self-explanatory. After the final workout for the week, there’ll be a journaling component. I strongly recommend doing this for a few reasons. One, it helps you to become more self-aware and more mindful in your day to day life. Two, it helps you keep track of the improvements you make along the way. Usually the improvements are so subtle that day to day it’s really hard to notice if anything’s changed, which is why it’s important to reflect at the end of each week. Keep track of things like your pain level, and how you feel in your body. There are also journaling prompts if you’re not sure what else to write.
Troubleshooting:
If you find the volume too difficult (ex: you could do the first two sets but the third set is too challenging and you can feel your form going), you can simply stop. This is a “one size fits most” program, which means a certain amount of self-awareness will be required. You know your body best. If your form starts to go, simply stop, make note of what you were able to do, and try the workout again next week and see how far you’re able to go with good form.
If you don’t find the workouts not challenging enough, you can do an additional set or two. This may happen for people who have a strong workout background. If that’s you, listen up! I’d encourage you to do each movement exceptionally mindfully. Go slower than you want to do with each rep. Pay particular attention to your core brace (and the ability to hold the core brace as you move), your breath, and your form. Your particular challenge with this program may be the ego. Because the bulk of the exercises are corrective exercises, you may feel frustrated or bummed that you’re not breaking a sweat, and that may translate in your head to you not getting a good workout. Remember that sweat is not an indicator of a good workout, and that foundational strength is key. If you’ve found yourself here despite a background in fitness, then you’ve gone back to basics and it’s important to just honor that. Pay attention to the analogy I use of building a house in the intro video below. That part will be really helpful to you. For you, this is going to be more of a mental battle, than a physical one, and sometimes those are the toughest. But remember, you’re not alone!
Before you begin, watch the introduction video (about 10 minutes long), which will explain the parts of the program, and all the info you need to get started. Also, head over to our Facebook page for this group, and introduce yourself!
How to Analyze Your Posture from the Front
Watch this video on posture. You’ll refer to it throughout the program, so don’t feel like you have to absorb all the info right now.
Please note: As you become more mindful, you’ll start making little postural changes and movement pattern changes. Initially, these changes will likely feel very unnatural. Stick with it. As you develop both mindfulness and better muscular balance in your body, the new positions will become second nature and eventually, you won’t have to think about it at all, and they’ll become your new default movement patterns.
To analyze your posture from the front, take a photo making sure that:
You’re barefoot
You can see your head and feet in the photo
The photos is taken between hip and chest height
You are standing naturally, with your arms by your side
Then, evaluate from the bottom up:
Feet: The feet are your foundation of your posture. Ask yourself: do my feet point totally forward or do they turn out to the side? Does one foot turn out more than the other? Typically, for people whose feet turn out to the side, they’ll likely have tight peroneals, soleus and calf muscles, and weak adductors. If your feet turn inward, you likely have tight adductors, and weaker glute medius, and TFL muscles. Don’t worry, this will be addressed in the program. Ideally, you want your toes to point totally forward, and you want to push into the “footprint” of each foot.
Knees: Then look at the knees. Do the kneecaps turn outward? This is often a hint that perhaps the adductors aren’t as strong as they could be. Do they kneecaps turn inward? This is often a sign that glutes (particularly, glute medius) is weak). Again, no stress, this will all be addressed.
Hips and Side Body: Then look at the hips. Are the hips even or is one side higher than the other? Often this is due to a daily activity that we’re doing without as much mindfulness as we could have. For example, if you have a baby and you tend to only hold your baby on the left hip, then it’s likely that your left hip might be higher than the right, and therefore, the left low back may be tighter, so you’d want to pay attention to how you feel when you foam roll your low back and make sure to spend extra time on the left side if it’s tender. It could be the way you sit at your desk, especially if you cross your legs and just sit on one hip. It could be the way you drive, if you’re someone who drives a lot and you lean over to one side. This postural evaluation is where you get the think critically about the movements you do daily that may be impacting how you feel. Look at the side body. Does one sit appear shorter than the other? This usually means the psoas and/or the low erector on that side is tight, and could be due to how you sit if you sit for long periods of time or if you stand with all your weight on one leg like this. Ask yourself if you always sit to the side or cross one leg over the other - this could be aggravating the positioning.
Shoulders: Then go to the shoulders. Are they even? If not, which one is lower? You’ll want to foam roll the opposite one with care, and spend more time on that side if it feels tender.
Look at the arms: Does one hang out further away from the body than the other? It might be some restriction through the lat or rotator cuff that you could foam roll. Look at the hands. Can you see the top of the hands prominently? If so, it’s likely that your mid/lower traps are weak, and your pecs are tight.
How to Analyze Your Posture from the Side
To analyze your posture from the side, you’ll want to be sure that you’re barefoot, and you can see your head and feet and that you’re standing naturally at rest. Have the photo taken anywhere from hip to chest height.
Feet: Are they pointed forward or inwards or straight out in front? Are they positioned evenly or is there one that is out in front by an inch or so? Was that simply the way you’re standing for that particular photo or do you see that positioning in all your posture photos? If it’s the latter, it likely means that side of your pelvis is anteriorly rotated, so you’ll want to be really mindful about positioning your feet so that they are even. This, along with the workouts and foam rolling should help your body to come into better alignment.
Then look at the legs. Ideally we want the ankles, knees and hip joints in one line. Do your legs sort of make a diagonal line forward? If so, this is usually a hint that you’re putting too much weight in the balls of the feet, and that you need to shift your weight back so that the glutes will fire on. Visualize a “footprint” and push into that footprint. That is, the heel, lateral side of the foot, across the ball of the foot and all five toes. This should help to better distribute your weight.
If you look at your legs and the kneecaps sink backwards and the hamstrings almost appear like they’re bowing back behind you, that’s an indication that there is hyperextension through the hamstrings and you’ll want to be mindful about not locking your knees out when you stand, but learning to be mindful about having a micro-bend in your knees. This should help activate your hamstrings and glutes so you’re better supported.
Look at the pelvis position. Doe it tilt forward or is it more even? If it tilts forward, that’s usually a sign that the low back is tight and could use some foam rolling. It may also indicate that your hip flexors are tight. Again, think about what you do throughout your day. Do you sit all day? If so, could you set up a standing desk? Check out this post for tips on how to stand better.
Look at your low back. Do you see a nice neutral curve or is the low back curve very pronounced? Sometimes (not always), that’s an indication that there’s a lot of weight being dumped into the low back, especially if you can see a sharp point. Often times this is due to an anterior pelvic tilt. Try to find a more neutral pelvis position. If you look and there is almost no low back curve, then you may have a posterior tilted pelvis, in which case you’ll likely want to focus on bringing the weight in your feet back towards your heels and implement the “footprint” pressing I described above. You’ll also likely want to ensure you have a micro bend in your knees, and really focus on glute activation as you work through the program.
Look at your ribs. Do the front ones flare upward? You can usually tell if you’re wearing a sports bra and the torso part of the bra is uneven with the front part pulling up. If you’re not wearing a sports bra, you can usually tell if the front ribs are sticking out, or if you stand at rest and feel the low ribs pointing forward. If this is you, one of your mindfulness pieces will include becoming aware of the core activation and learning how to breathe diaphragmatically. Make sure you understand how to brace your core (we’ll go over this in the program).
Look at your arms. The hands should hang naturally out in front a little bit, but if the upper arms hang forward, and your shoulders are also rounded, this is an indication that you may benefit from building upper back strength. The mindfulness piece for you will be learning to engage the mid and lower traps and gently activating them when you stand, sit, and move in general.
Look at your head. Does it sit pretty far forward? Ideally, we want the ears in line with the shoulders, hips, knees and ankle joints. If you head in pretty far forward, your mindfulness pillar will include being aware of how you hold your head when you work at your desk, drive, watch tv, everything.
How to Analyze Your Posture from the Back
Look at yourself from the back.
Feet: You know what to start with by now, the feet! Notice how your stance is. Do you put equal weight on both feet or does one foot want to go out to the side (in which case, you likely may be putting more weight on the opposite leg). Do both feet turn out? Start being more mindful about turning your feet totally forward, and press into the “footprint” like I described above.
Then look at the knees. If you’re wearing shorts, you’ll be able to tell which direction the knees point, if any, based on the crease of the knee. Take a look and see how the knees point, or if they’re totally forward. If they go inward, it may mean that your adductors are tight and your glute medius could use some activation. Don’t worry, this is all addressed in the program design.
Look at the hips. Is one hip higher than the other? This often indicates that the low back and lats of the same side are tight, so you’ll want to pay particular attention when you foam roll that area.
Look at the shoulders. Do they appear even? Look at the shoulder blades. Do they look well supported with good musculature around them, or do they wing out? If they wing out, you’ll want to be mindful about gentle activation between the shoulder blades as you sit, stand, and move in general.
Take a look at the head. Sometimes you can’t see much from this angle, and sometimes you can really see kyphosis (“hunchback”) happening and you’ll want to be really cognizant about the head positioning as you go about your daily activities.
Keep the photos you take in a safe place so you can compare when you’re done with week 6!
Before you begin:
Watch this video on core bracing and how to breathe while working out and this video on How to Diaphragmatically Breathe. If the core brace is hard to understand, here’s another video that’s a bit shorter but may help.
Weeks 1 and 2:
Mindfulness these next two weeks: Watch the video below to try to be a bit more mindful in each moment of the day. Remember, reduced stress typically equates to feeling better in our bodies.
Workout 1
Foam Roll
Low Back area (through the QL)
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check, Breath and Mindset
Watch the Posture Check video.
Ensure you understand How to Diaphragmatically Breathe
Then, lay down with your knees bent, and feet on the ground, and take 10 diaphragmatic breaths. Try to really connect to your pelvic floor as you do this. Visualize the diaphragm moving up and down through your body, giving your internal organs and low back a massage. Visualize the torso as a balloon and breathe a full, 360 degree breath into that “balloon".
Take 8 - 10 deep breaths while stretching your chest and lats.
Workout
8 - 10 - 12 Scapular Push Ups (if you are recently postpartum or your core is particularly weak, do this on your knees and ensure your focus in the core brace)
As many as you can do with good form: 5 second Quadrupled Adductor Leg Press and Abduction Hold
8 - 10 - 12 Single Arm Resistance Band Row
12 - 15 - 20 Glute Max Activations
12 - 15 - 18 Second Low Trap Superman
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Workout 2
Foam Roll
Low Back area (through the QL)
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check and Breath
Take the 5 Min Guided Meditation to Start the Day class
Then, lay down with your knees bent, and feet on the ground, and take 10 diaphragmatic breaths. Don’t rush this. Try to really connect to your pelvic floor as you do this. Visualize the diaphragm moving up and down through your body, giving your internal organs and low back a massage. Visualize the torso as a balloon and breathe a full, 360 degree breath into that “balloon".
Breathe 8 - 10 breaths in this neck release stretch
Workout
As many supinated grip band pull aparts as you can do with good form
8 - 10 - 12 Single Leg Glute Bridge with Abduction
8 - 10 - 12 Front/Lateral Arm Raise Combo
8 - 10 - 12 Bear Plank Walk - If you’re newly postpartum, just stay in Bear position with knees hovered off the ground, and focus on bracing your core with lifting the pelvic floor as you hold for 8 - 20 seconds.
8 - 10 - 12 Lateral Step Up
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Workout 3
Foam Roll
Low Back area (through the QL)
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check and Breath
Take 5 deep breaths in Cobra Pose
Then, lay down with your knees bent, and feet on the ground, and take 10 diaphragmatic breaths. Don’t rush this. Try to really connect to your pelvic floor as you do this. Visualize the diaphragm moving up and down through your body, giving your internal organs and low back a massage. Visualize the torso as a balloon and breathe a full, 360 degree breath into that “balloon".
Do the 1st and 3rd exercise here
12 - 15 second hold for the resistance band head press (first exercise)
6 - 10 T-Spine Rotations (3rd exercise)
Workout
6 - 8 - 10 Internal External Rotations - Start with very light weight!
As many Single Leg Wall Sits as you can do with good form
6 - 8 - 10 Single Arm Lateral Arm Raise
10 - 12 - 14 Banded Lateral Steps with band around feet
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Then: 30 Min Balance Practice
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Workout 4
Foam Roll
Low Back area (through the QL)
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check and Breath
Spend 3 - 5 minutes practicing Sheetali Breathing
Then, lay down with your knees bent, and feet on the ground, and take 10 diaphragmatic breaths. Don’t rush this. Try to really connect to your pelvic floor as you do this. Visualize the diaphragm moving up and down through your body, giving your internal organs and low back a massage. Visualize the torso as a balloon and breathe a full, 360 degree breath into that “balloon".
Workout
6 - 8 - 10 Side Plank with Leg Abduction
8 - 10 - 12 DB Shoulder Press
6 - 8 - 10 Front Step Up
As many supinated grip band pull aparts as you can do with good form
12 - 15 - 20 Glute Max Activations
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Mindset
Watch the video below for a tip on how you move.
Journaling Prompts:
Week 1: Take a look at the exercises you’ve done so far this week. Which have been the most challenging to you, and what information do you think it’s telling you? (IE: Balance is an issue, so my core is likely weak.) On a scale of 1 - 10, 10 being the worst pain you’ve felt, where are you at with your back pain?
Week 2: In considering your activities of daily the living, what do you think may be contributing to your pain, if you have pain? What is your current stress level, and is that contributing to how you physically feel? Please feel free to share on the Facebook page.
Weeks 3 and 4:
Mindfulness these next two weeks: Watch the video below about how to be on the lookout for things to be grateful for.
Workout 1
Foam Roll
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check and Breath
Take this guided meditation at your desk class.
Then, do this 10 Min Balancing Practice
Take 8 - 10 deep breaths while stretching your chest and lats.
Workout
10 - 12 - 14 Scapular Push Ups (if you are recently postpartum or your core is particularly weak, do this on your knees and ensure your focus in the core brace)
As many as you can do with good form: This time try counting to 8 seconds Quadrupled Adductor Leg Press and Abduction Hold
10 - 12 - 14 Single Arm Resistance Band Row
15 - 18 - 22 Glute Max Activations
15 - 18 - 20 Second Low Trap Superman
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Workout 2
Foam Roll
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check and Breath
Then, lay down with your knees bent, and feet on the ground, and take 10 diaphragmatic breaths. Don’t rush this. Try to really connect to your pelvic floor as you do this. Visualize the diaphragm moving up and down through your body, giving your internal organs and low back a massage. Visualize the torso as a balloon and breathe a full, 360 degree breath into that “balloon".
Breathe 10 - 12 breaths in this neck release stretch
Workout
As many supinated grip band pull aparts as you can do with good form
10 - 12 - 14 Single Leg Glute Bridge with Abduction
10 - 12 - 14 Front/Lateral Arm Raise Combo
10 - 12 - 14 Bear Plank Walk - If you’re newly postpartum, just stay in Bear position with knees hovered off the ground, and focus on bracing your core with lifting the pelvic floor as you hold for 8 - 20 seconds.
10 - 12 - 14 Lateral Step Up
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Workout 3
Foam Roll
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check and Breath
Take 5 deep breaths in Cobra Pose
Then, lay down with your knees bent, and feet on the ground, and take 10 diaphragmatic breaths. Don’t rush this. Try to really connect to your pelvic floor as you do this. Visualize the diaphragm moving up and down through your body, giving your internal organs and low back a massage. Visualize the torso as a balloon and breathe a full, 360 degree breath into that “balloon".
Do the 1st and 3rd exercise here
12 - 15 second hold for the resistance band head press (first exercise)
6 - 10 T-Spine Rotations (3rd exercise)
Workout
As many Hamstring Curls with a Slider as you can do with good form (alternatively, you could use two washcloths on hardwood floor, or paper plates on carpeting)
6 - 8 - 10 Internal External Rotations - Start with very light weight!
As many Single Leg Wall Sits as you can do with good form
6 - 8 - 10 Single Arm Lateral Arm Raise
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Then: 10 Min resistance Band for Legs and Glutes workout
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Workout 4
Foam Roll
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check and Breath
Spend 5 - 8 minutes practicing Sheetali Breathing
Then, lay down with your knees bent, and feet on the ground, and take 10 diaphragmatic breaths. Don’t rush this. Try to really connect to your pelvic floor as you do this. Visualize the diaphragm moving up and down through your body, giving your internal organs and low back a massage. Visualize the torso as a balloon and breathe a full, 360 degree breath into that “balloon".
Workout
8 - 10 - 12 Side Plank with Leg Abduction
10 - 12 - 14 DB Shoulder Press
8 - 10 - 12 Front Step Up
As many supinated grip band pull aparts as you can do with good form
15 - 18 - 22 Glute Max Activations
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Mindset
Watch the following video on a more optimal driving position.
Journaling:
Week 3: How is your mindset these days? Overall, are you experiencing a shift in mindset? If so, how does that feel and how has it impacted your day to day life? If not, what is one thing you could do to approach each day with a more positive, curious mindset?
Week 4: How do you feel about your overall performance during the program so far? Where have you excelled? Where do you feel there’s room for improvement? What is one actionable step you could take to bring you closer to where you want to be?
Weeks 5 and 6:
Mindfulness these next two weeks: Watch the video below about how to position your phone to potentially prevent tension headaches and tech neck.
Workout 1
Foam Roll
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check and Breath
Review the idea of the footprint and your body’s standing position if you stand for work, or seated position if you sit for long periods of time.
Then, lay down with your knees bent, and feet on the ground, and take 10 diaphragmatic breaths. Try to really connect to your pelvic floor as you do this. Visualize the diaphragm moving up and down through your body, giving your internal organs and low back a massage. Visualize the torso as a balloon and breathe a full, 360 degree breath into that “balloon".
Then, do as many Table Pulls as you can do with good form. If you don’t have a table that will work for this, you could try inverted rows at home. Rest and repeat this movement for 2 - 3 more times.
Take 8 - 10 deep breaths while stretching your chest and lats.
Workout
18 - 20 - 22 Frog Pumps
10 - 12 - 14 Scapular Push Ups (if you are recently postpartum or your core is particularly weak, do this on your knees and ensure your focus in the core brace)
As many as you can do with good form: This time try counting to 10 seconds Quadrupled Adductor Leg Press and Abduction Hold
10 - 12 - 14 Single Arm Resistance Band Row
15 - 18 - 22 Glute Max Activations
15 - 18 - 20 Second Low Trap Superman
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Workout 2
Foam Roll
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check and Breath
Then, lay down with your knees bent, and feet on the ground, and take 10 diaphragmatic breaths. Don’t rush this. Try to really connect to your pelvic floor as you do this. Visualize the diaphragm moving up and down through your body, giving your internal organs and low back a massage. Visualize the torso as a balloon and breathe a full, 360 degree breath into that “balloon".
Breathe 8 - 10 breaths in this neck release stretch
Workout
As many supinated grip band pull aparts as you can do with good form
12 - 14 - 16 Single Leg Glute Bridge with Abduction
10 - 12 - 14 Front/Lateral Arm Raise Combo - If you don’t have heavier weight, go up in reps by 2 - 4 or decrease reps by 2 - 4. Or, go heavier in weight if you have that option.
12 - 14 - 16 Bear Plank Walk - If you’re newly postpartum, just stay in Bear position with knees hovered off the ground, and focus on bracing your core with lifting the pelvic floor as you hold for 8 - 25 seconds.
8 - 10 - 12 Lateral Step Up - Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Workout 3
Foam Roll
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check and Breath
Then, lay down with your knees bent, and feet on the ground, and take 10 diaphragmatic breaths. Don’t rush this. Try to really connect to your pelvic floor as you do this. Visualize the diaphragm moving up and down through your body, giving your internal organs and low back a massage. Visualize the torso as a balloon and breathe a full, 360 degree breath into that “balloon".
Then, do as many Table Pulls as you can do with good form. If you don’t have a table that will work for this, you could try inverted rows at home. Rest and repeat this movement for 2 - 3 more times.
Workout
As many Hamstring Curls with a Slider as you can do with good form (alternatively, you could use two washcloths on hardwood floor, or paper plates on carpeting)
6 - 8 - 10 Internal External Rotations - Go heavier in weight, if you have it. If not, go up in reps by 2 - 4.
As many Single Leg Wall Sits as you can do with good form
6 - 8 - 10 Single Arm Lateral Arm Raise - Go heavier in weight if you have it. If not, go up in reps by 2 - 4.
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Workout 4
Foam Roll
Foot and Toe Exercises (do 8 - 10 reps of each toe exercise)
Posture Check and Breath
Spend 5 - 8 minutes practicing Sheetali Breathing
Once or twice on a rest day over the next two weeks, do this 26 minute heart opening yoga practice (active herniation people can try it but stop if your back hurts).
Then, lay down with your knees bent, and feet on the ground, and take 10 diaphragmatic breaths. Don’t rush this. Try to really connect to your pelvic floor as you do this. Visualize the diaphragm moving up and down through your body, giving your internal organs and low back a massage. Visualize the torso as a balloon and breathe a full, 360 degree breath into that “balloon".
Workout
10 - 12 - 14 Side Plank with Leg Abduction
10 - 12 - 14 DB Shoulder Press - If you have heavier weight, go down in reps by 2 - 4. If you don’t have heavier weight, go up in reps by 2 - 4.
8 - 10 - 12 Front Step Up - Hold a weight in each hand.
As many supinated grip band pull aparts as you can do with good form
As many Glute Max Activations as you can do with good form.
Beginners do 1 - 2 sets
Intermediate do 2 - 3 sets
Advanced do 3 - 5 sets
Finish your workout with foam rolling, same parts as above.
Mindset
Watch the following video on a tip for how you get up from a supine or seated position.
Journaling:
Week 5: You have one more week of the program. Have you noticed any shifts in your breathing? Mindset? Mindfulness? Posture or movements in your activities of daily living? What is one thing you feel grateful for right now?
Week 6: On a scale of 1 - 10, 10 being the worst pain you’ve felt, where are you at with your back pain? Compare that to week 1, and write about that. What have you learned about yourself during this program? Take body composition photos and compare your Week 1 photos with your Week 6 photos. Please feel free to send them to me on Instagram, or share them in the Facebook group!