The sled walk is your warm-up and your workout in one. Load the sled light — we're training posture and gait, not max effort. Drive through your heel, keep your chest proud, and push from your hips — not your lower back. If your back arches or your shoulders round, lighten the load. This one conditions the posterior chain in a way that directly translates to how you walk every day. Keep the pace steady and controlled.

Lie face down — arms at roughly a Y position, thumbs pointing up. Lift your arms off the floor using only your shoulder blade muscles. Think about pulling your shoulder blades down and together before you raise — that's what activates the lower trapezius. This is a small movement. If you're heaving or shrugging your neck, you've lost it.

Place a foam roller on the floor perpendicular to your spine. Sit in front of it, then lower your mid-back down onto the roller — it should sit roughly at bra-strap level to start. Support your head with your hands interlaced behind your neck. From here, let your upper back extend back over the roller gently. Breathe in and allow the movement — do not force it. Hold for 2 to 3 seconds at the bottom, then return. After each set, reposition the roller one segment higher toward your shoulder blades. This is not a stretch to push hard — it is a gentle mobilisation. If you feel anything in your lower back, the roller has drifted too low.

Lie on your back with your hips at 90 degrees — feet resting on a wall or bench, knees bent. Place a resistance band just above your knees. Keeping your pelvis flat and still, push one knee outward against the band. Hold for one second at the end range, then return with control. The working position — hips flexed to 90 degrees — pre-lengthens the posterior fibres of the glute medius, so you get more recruitment from the start. Do not let the opposite hip rotate or the lower back arch. Keep the movement clean and deliberate.

Stand upright with a resistance band just above your knees. Hold a wall or upright for balance if needed. Keeping your pelvis level and your standing leg stable, lift one leg directly out to the side. Do not let your hip shift outward on the standing side — that is a compensation, not a rep. Pause at the top for one to two seconds, then return with control. The standing position challenges the glute medius in a more functional way than lying down — your standing-leg glute med has to work the whole time to keep your pelvis level.

Place a resistance band just above your knees. Get into a partial squat position — hips back, chest up, slight forward lean. From here, walk forward by taking small, controlled steps — keeping the band under tension throughout by never letting your feet come completely together. Your knees should track outward over your toes on every step. Walk 10 to 15 metres forward, then walk straight back in the same position. The glute medius fires on every step to prevent the stance-side hip from dropping — this is its primary functional job during gait, and exactly what you have been training for.

Sit tall on the bench, band anchored at chest height in front of you. No back support — this is part of the exercise. Pull the band to your lower ribs, elbows tracking close to your body. Pause at the end, squeeze your shoulder blades together, then control it back. Keep your torso upright throughout.

Hold a dowel or broomstick along your spine — three points of contact: back of head, between shoulder blades, and tailbone. Hinge at the hips — push them back while maintaining all three contact points. Your back stays flat and rigid throughout. This is a pattern drill, not a strength exercise. If you lose contact at any point, you've moved your spine instead of your hips.

Bar on the upper back, feet hip-width apart, slight bend in the knees. Hinge at the hips — push them back, not your knees down. Your back stays flat — rigid. Lower until you feel a pull in your hamstrings, then drive your hips forward to return. This is a hip hinge pattern, not a squat. Form over weight, always.

Lie face-down on a bench or platform so your hips are at the edge and your legs hang free. Hold the bench firmly with both hands. With control, swing your legs upward and back — feel the glutes and hamstrings activate as you lift. Lower slowly — allow the legs to swing forward slightly, which gently tractions the lumbar spine. The descent is therapeutic. Keep the movement smooth and controlled throughout — no jerking or momentum.

Wide stance, toes turned out, barbell between your legs. Hinge and grip the bar — arms straight inside your knees. Back flat, chest up, take the slack out of the bar before you pull. Drive your feet into the floor and push the floor away — the bar rises as your hips extend. Lock out at the top by squeezing your glutes.

Both feet on the ground in a split stance. Sink your back knee all the way to the floor, driving your front knee forward. Keep your torso upright and your heel flat. Start with bodyweight until the range is comfortable, then add load. Depth is the point.

Upper back on a bench, barbell across the hips — use a pad for comfort. Feet flat, knees bent. Drive your hips upward by squeezing your glutes — not your lower back. At the top, your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Lower slowly and repeat.

Lie on your back, feet flat, knees bent. Place a dumbbell across your hips. Drive your hips up by squeezing your glutes — not your lower back. Hold at the top, then lower slowly. Keep your core braced and your hips level throughout.

Position yourself in the back extension station so your hip crease is at the top of the pad. Cross your arms or place your hands behind your head. Lower your torso slowly, then raise it back to neutral — and hold. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels. Don't hyperextend at the top. Earn that hold.

Lie on your back, one knee bent, one leg flat. Slide your hands under your lower back to maintain its natural curve. From here, lift only your head and shoulders off the ground — a small movement. Hold briefly, then lower. This is not a crunch. We're training the deep abdominal wall to brace and protect your spine, not flex it.

On all fours — wrists under shoulders, knees under hips. Brace your core lightly, then extend one arm and the opposite leg simultaneously. Hold the position — your hips stay level, your lower back doesn't rotate or sag. Return slowly and repeat on the other side. Stability is the goal, not reach.

Lie on your back, arms pointing to the ceiling, hips and knees at ninety degrees. Press your lower back gently into the floor and keep it there throughout. Lower one arm overhead and the opposite leg toward the floor — slowly. Return and repeat on the other side. Don't rush it.

Sit on the floor with both knees bent at ninety degrees — one in front, one to the side. Sit tall through both sit bones. Hold this position and breathe. Then rotate and switch sides. The goal is to sit upright without propping yourself up.

Feet shoulder-width apart, toes out slightly. Lower into a full squat and hold — heels flat on the floor if possible. If your heels lift, place a folded towel underneath them for now. Use your elbows to gently push your knees out, and breathe. Work toward thirty seconds. Gravity does the work, you just have to stay there.

From all fours, bring one shin forward and across — knee toward the opposite wrist. Extend the back leg straight. Lower your hips toward the floor and hold. You should feel a deep stretch in the outer hip of the front leg. Don't sink into your lower back to compensate.

Kneel facing away from a wall or couch. Place one foot up behind you — shin resting against the surface, knee near the base. Step the other foot forward into a lunge position. Brace your core, tuck your pelvis slightly, and hold upright. You should feel a deep stretch through the front of the rear hip and thigh.

Stand tall, feet hip-width apart. Reach one arm overhead and bend slowly to the opposite side — long through the waist, no forward lean. Hold the end range, breathe into the side you're stretching, then return. Move slowly and stay in your pain-free range.

On all fours, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips. Start neutral. On the exhale, round your entire spine toward the ceiling. On the inhale, let your belly drop, lift your chest and tailbone. Move slowly between the two — this is controlled segmental movement, not a speed drill.

Start in a half-kneeling position — one knee down, one foot forward. Tuck your pelvis under slightly to engage the stretch, then drive the back knee forward and up in a controlled kick. Return to the start. Keep the movement slow and deliberate, and maintain an upright torso throughout.

This is four movements in sequence — forward swing, lateral swing, crossbody swing, and hip circle. Stand on one leg, hold a fixed surface lightly for balance. Each swing should be controlled — initiated from the hip, not momentum. Run through all four directions on one side before switching.

Sit on the floor, soles of feet together, knees dropping to the sides. Hold a light weight on your feet or press gently on your inner thighs. Sit tall — don't slump. Hold the position and breathe. Don't force the knees down — let the weight and gravity do it over thirty to sixty seconds.

Take a long lunge position — back knee on the floor, front foot well forward. Tuck your pelvis under and hold. Don't lean forward into this stretch — stay tall or slightly back. Breathe deeply into the stretch. A minimum of forty-five seconds per side, every session.

Sit or stand tall. Extend one leg out in front of you with your foot flexed. From here, slowly extend the knee and dorsiflex the foot at the same time, then relax. You may feel a pulling sensation down the back of the leg — that's the sciatic nerve moving through its pathway. Move slowly and rhythmically — stop if you feel sharp symptoms.

Lie on your side with your elbow directly under your shoulder and your feet stacked. Lift your hips off the floor so your body forms a straight line from head to feet — no sagging at the waist, no rotation at the hips. Hold the position and breathe. If you cannot hold the full prescribed time, hold for as long as you can and rest, then repeat. Every second you hold is building the lateral chain that protects your lumbar spine.