E X E R C I S E 5T R U N K F L E X I O N S T R E T C H

S T A R T I N G P O S I T I O N : Kneel on a mat with your hands and knees.

A C T I O N : Tuck in your chin, arch your back and slowly sit your buttocks onto your heels, letting your shoulders drop to the floor with your arms

E X E R C I S E 6B R I D G I N G

S T A R T I N G P O S I T I O N : Lie on a firm surface with knees bent.

A C T I O N : Slowly raise buttocks from the floor keeping stomach tight. Tighten the buttock muscles to push up the hips until you can feel both the stomach and buttock muscles

E X E R C I S E 7A N G R Y C A T

S T A R T I N G P O S I T I O N : Kneel on a mat with your hands and knees, keeping your spine in natural alignment.

A C T I O N : Slowly let your trunk sag, so that your back is slightly arched - don’t force it down! Then round your back up at the waist by squeezing your lower abdominal muscles, as you lower the top your head toward the floor. The

E X E R C I S E 8P R O N E L U M B E R E X T E N S I O N

S T A R T I N G P O S I T I O N : Lie on your stomach on a mat with your weight on your forearms.

A C T I O N : Relax your low back completely in this position for 15-30 seconds. Stop if it causes any discomfort.

E X E R C I S E 1S U P I N E R E L A X A T I O N

S T A R T I N G P O S I T I O N : Lie on your back with your legs resting comfortably on a low stool or pillows under your knees.

A C T I O N : Let your low back completely rest.

E X E R C I S E 2D O U B L E K N E E T O C H E S T

S T A R T I N G P O S I T I O N : Lie on your back on a firm surface with your knees bent.

A C T I O N : Pull both knees to your chest until you feel a comfortable stretch in your low back. Keep the back relaxed.

E X E R C I S E 3P E L V I C T I L T

S T A R T I N G P O S I T I O N : Lie on your back on a firm surface with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and arms at the sides.

A C T I O N : Press the small of your back onto the floor by pulling your abdominal muscles up and in. Hold your back flat while breathing easily- do not hold your breath.

E X E R C I S E 4R O T A T I O N S T R E T C H

S T A R T I N G P O S I T I O N : Lie on your back on a firm surface with your knees bent.

A C T I O N : Keep back flat and knees together. Rotate knees to one

Low back pain will cause 80% of adults to miss at least one week of work during their

Low back pain will cause 80% of adults to miss at least one week of work during their lifetime. Back pain can be categorised as two phases: acute pain and chronic pain. Back pain is considered acute in the first six weeks. When back pain exceeds six weeks it is considered chronic. The natural reaction to pain is to guard the body, often causing a person to adopt different compensatory movements to substitute for a weak and painful low back. This may give short-term relief but the long-term effects can be dev-astating. Pain can lead to disuse, muscle wasting and weakness. This weakness increases the chance of fur-ther injury or re-injury. This vicious cycle is known as the ‘Chronic deconditioning syndrome’. The exercises detailed here have been de-signed to help you minimize the chance of injury or re-injury. Do each exercise one to

R E M E M B E R :Use slow, controlled movements. If you feel any discomfort whilst doing these exercises, stop immediately and consult your local physician. Stop any exercise that increases back pain or causes tingling, numbness or

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