HOW: Start in a comfortable seated position with your legs together out in front of you. Bend your back forward and reach for your toes with both hands as you keep your knees straight. Hold that stretch for the prescribed amount of time. 

 

FEEL: You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings muscles in the back of your thigh. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your feet together and your knees straight as you reach forward. Don’t bounce once you are in your desired stretch position, hold the stretch.

HOW: Start by lying on your side with your knees bent and raised to hip height. Clasp your hands on top of each other. Slowly reach your top hand forward as far as you can. Then, slowly pull your hands back, across your chest, and drop to the opposite side.

 

FEEL: You should feel a nice gentle stretch through your mid-back region. You may also feel a little pec stretch in the front of your shoulder.

 

COMPENSATION: Make sure to keep your knees high. If your knees are not high enough, you will not get the stretch in your mid-back region.

HOW: Grab the top of your ankle on the side you plan to stretch with the other arm that is free with the palm facing the ceiling. Try to pull your knee back as tolerated to help increase the stretch of the hip flexors. Perform a posterior pelvic tilt (decrease the arch in your low back) and then rotate your chest towards the ceiling.

 

FEEL: You will feel a stretch in the back of the hip towards the ceiling, the front of the thigh of the leg on the floor, and your mid-back.

 

COMPENSATION: Keep your top leg’s knee on the ground as you attempt to open your chest.

HOW: Get set-up seated with your feet supported on the ground. While keeping your trunk upright and tall and low back relatively neutral, lift one knee up towards the ceiling while keeping your knee bent. Hold for a moment, then lower down and perform on the other side. Repeat, 1 rep counts as 1 knee lift on each side.

 

FEEL: You should feel the muscles in front of your hip working to lift your leg up into the air.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not excessively move the rest of your body or lean back to try and lift your leg up. Try to keep your back flat when you lift your leg up

HOW: Start in a standing position with your knees slightly bent and a small forward hip hinge. Place your hands on your hips and rotate your hips forwards creating an anterior pelvic tilt. Then rotate your hips backwards creating a posterior pelvic tilt. Do this going forwards and backwards in a slow and controlled motion for as much as you feel comfortable with. 

 

FEEL: When your hips are rotated forward, you will feel a slight stretch in your low back. When your hips are rotated backward, you’ll feel your glutes, core, and hip flexors working. 

 

COMPENSATION: Keep the rest of your body still other than your hips. Don’t move your upper body too far forwards or backwards while rotating the hips.

HOW: Get set-up flat on your back with your feet supported on an elevated surface with the knees bent at approx. 90 degrees. While maintaining a flat low back, push into the elevated surface to bridge up and lift your hips off the ground. Your body should create a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. While holding this position, alternative marching your knees towards your chest.

 

FEEL: You will feel the muscles behind your thigh, knee, hip, and butt muscles working hard with this exercise. You may also feel your core, hip flexors, and back muscles working too.

 

COMPENSATION: Limit excessive arching or rounding of your back, keep your hips level with the ground. Do not let your hips drop or rotate. 

HOW: Begin with your mid-back against a bench or elevated surface with your feet hip width apart. Place a resistance band just above your knees. While keeping your chin tucked, thrust your hips towards the ceiling. Focus on driving into the floor with your heels and tuck your tailbone (AKA posteriorly tilt your pelvis) at the top of the thrust.  Slowly return back to starting position and repeat.

 

FEEL: You will feel the gluteal and hamstring muscles working with this exercise.

 

COMPENSATION: Avoid arching with the lower back, allow a majority of this movement to come from the hips and pelvis. Avoid rolling on the outside of the foot as you spread the band, make sure the big toe is driving into the floor for the entirety of this exercise.

HOW: Assume the plank position on your elbows and toes. Simply hold this position for the desired amount of time.

 

FEEL: You should feel all the muscles in your stomach working to hold this position. You may also feel your shoulder and chest muscles working.

 

COMPENSATION: Do not arch your low back, let your hips sag to the ground, or stick your hips too high in the air