Spine-Neutral Standing
Find and hold your pain-free neutral spine position. Rock your pelvis forward and back to discover the posture where pain disappears.
Exercises
Your workout
Exercise library
Pain Trigger Journal
Log activities and positions that provoke or relieve your symptoms to identify patterns over 3-5 days.
Provocative Movement Test
Systematically test flexion, extension, and lateral movements to identify your specific intolerance direction.
Posture Audit
Photograph yourself from the side in your natural standing and sitting positions to identify postural deviations loading your spine.
McGill Curl-Up
Build anterior core endurance without flexing the lumbar spine. One leg bent, hands under lower back, lift only head and shoulders.
Supine Abdominal Brace
Regress the curl-up by bracing the abdominal wall while the head and shoulders stay on the floor. Keep the natural lumbar curve and breathe behind the brace.
Weighted McGill Curl-Up
Progress the curl-up by holding a light weight against the chest. Preserve the natural lumbar curve and lift only the head and shoulders without leading with the chin.
Bird Dog
Train rotational stability and coordination while maintaining a neutral spine. Extend opposite arm and leg without letting the hips rotate.
Single-Limb Bird Dog
Regress the bird dog by moving only one limb at a time. Reach one arm or slide one leg long while keeping three points of contact and the pelvis level.
Weighted Bird Dog
Progress the bird dog with a light dumbbell and ankle weight. Extend the opposite arm and leg while resisting rotation and keeping the ribs, spine, and pelvis controlled.
Side Bridge
Develop lateral core endurance essential for spine stability. Progress from knees to feet as endurance builds.
Kneeling Side Bridge
Regress the side bridge by supporting from the knees and forearm. Keep the hips forward and form a straight line from the shoulders through the hips to the knees.
Star Side Bridge
Progress the full side bridge by lifting the top leg while the body stays rigid. Keep the pelvis stacked and stop before the hips sag or rotate.
Hip Hinge Pattern
Replace spine bending with hip hinging for all forward-reaching movements. Use a dowel along your back to maintain three contact points.
Shortstop Squat
A spine-sparing squat pattern that maintains neutral spine while building lower body strength through full hip range.
Lunge
Build single-leg strength and practice getting closer to the floor without rounding the back. Step into a stable stance, lower straight down, and keep the torso comfortably upright.
Weighted Lunge
Progress the lunge by holding dumbbells at your sides. Brace before each repetition, keep the weights close, and maintain the same upright, controlled bodyweight-lunge pattern.
Push-Up
Press from the floor while keeping the body rigid from head to heels. Keep the elbows at a comfortable angle and prevent the ribs from flaring or the lower back from sagging.
Weighted Push-Up
Progress the push-up with a securely positioned weight vest or resistance plate. Maintain a rigid plank and use only a load that does not change your range or spinal position.
Pull-Up
Pull your chest toward the bar from a controlled hang. Keep the ribs stacked, avoid swinging or over-arching the lower back, and lower with control.
Sitting Posture Reset
The slouch-overcorrect method: deliberately round your back fully, then arch into full extension, then back off 10% to find your supported neutral.
Standing Desk Protocol
Alternate between sitting and standing every 20-30 minutes. When standing, use one foot elevated on a small step to reduce spinal load.
Big 3 Circuit
The complete McGill Big 3 performed as a circuit: curl-up, side bridge (both sides), bird dog (both sides). Use the descending pyramid rep scheme.
Walking
Sustained walking with upright posture and relaxed arm swing. Each rep is 1 minute. Adjust reps to match your target duration.
Progressive Walking
Start with pain-free walking duration (even 5 minutes) and add 5 minutes per week. Focus on upright posture and arm swing.
Hip Airplane
Single-leg balance with controlled hip internal and external rotation. Builds hip joint control that takes torsional load off the spine.
Sciatic Nerve Floss
Gentle neural mobilization: seated, extend one leg while looking up, then flex the neck while bending the knee. Never push into pain.
Suspension Row
Pull your chest to the handles while keeping your body in a straight plank. Trains the rhomboids and mid-trapezius — the muscles most responsible for counteracting forward head posture.
Suspension Face Pull
Pull the handles toward your face with elbows flared high. Strengthens the external rotators and rear deltoids that counteract rounded-shoulder posture.
Suspension Plank
Feet in the straps, hands on the floor in a push-up position. The unstable surface demands constant anti-rotation core work far beyond a floor plank.
Suspension Hip Press
Lie on your back with heels in the straps and bridge up, squeezing the glutes at the top. Trains glute activation and hamstring strength with the spine in a safe neutral position.
Suspension Split Squat
Rear foot in the strap, front foot planted. Lower straight down keeping your torso upright. Builds single-leg strength and hip flexor length while keeping the spine neutral throughout.
TRX-Assisted Squat
Use the straps for balance while sitting the hips back and keeping the spine neutral. Adjust foot position and arm assistance to match your current strength and mobility.
TRX Chest Press
Lean forward into the straps and lower your chest between the handles while maintaining a rigid plank. Press away without letting the ribs flare or lower back sag.
TRX Hamstring Curl
Lie on your back with both heels in the straps. Keep the hips lifted as you draw the heels toward you, training the hamstrings and glutes without bending through the lower back.
TRX Standing Fallout
Stand facing away from the anchor and reach the handles forward and overhead while the body inclines as one unit. Brace the abdomen to prevent rib flare and lumbar extension.
Stir the Pot
Advanced core challenge: forearms on a stability ball in plank position, make small circles while preventing any spine movement.
Suitcase Carry
Walk holding a weight in one hand without letting your torso lean. Builds lateral stability under real-world asymmetric loading.