LUMBAR BRACING: Lying on your back with your knees bent, brace your abdomen by tightening the muscles you use to cough. You should not feel your spine move. Focus on breathing normally. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat 10 times.

LEG LIFT: Perform abdominal bracing while lying on your back with knees bent. Lift your leg off of the floor about 3 to 4 inches keeping your knee bent. Then lower your foot, holding your abdominal brace. Relax. Alternate each foot 10 times.

LEG KICK: Perform abdominal bracing while lying on your back with your knees bent. Straighten your right knee, but keep your thighs in position. Bring your right leg down, and relax. Brace and do the same with only the right leg. Alternate each 10 times.

LEG LOWERED: Perform the leg kick, but when your leg is straight, lower your whole leg to the floor. You should not feel your spine move. Bend your knee back to the original position and relax. Alternate each leg 10 times.

These exercises should be done at least 2 times a day. Warm up first with a hot shower, heating pad or hot water bottle. If you need pain medication take it about one half hour before you exercise. You should have some pain with the exercises but it should last only 10 or 15 minutes. It should take only 10 or 15 minutes to do all your exercises.

bracing program

BRIDGING: Perform abdominal bracing while lying on your back with knees bent. Slowly lift your hips off of the floor, but do not let your spine move. Hold for 10 seconds. Lower your hips back down and relax.

BRIDGE WITH LEG LIFT: Perform a bridge with an abdominal brace. While bridged, lift one foot off of the floor about 3 to 4 inches and keep your knee bent. Lower your left foot but stay bridged while you hold your abdominal brace. Alternate each 10 times.

BRIDGE WITH LEG KICK: Perform a bridge with an abdominal brace. While bridged, straighten your knee, but keep your thighs parallel. Bring your leg down, but stay bridged while you hold your abdominal brace. Alternate each leg 10 times.

SIT-UP: Lying on your back with your knees bent, brace your abdomen and do not let your spine move. Hold your arms straight out, parallel to your thighs. Look at your finger tips. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off of the floor; then curl your upper back up as if your arms are being pulled. Lower. Repeat 10 times.

These exercises should be done at least 2 times a day. Warm up first with a hot shower, heating pad or hot water bottle. If you need pain medication take it about one half hour before you exercise. You should have some pain with the exercises but it should last only 10 or 15 minutes. It should take only 10 or 15 minutes to do all your exercises.

SIT-UP WITH BALL: Lying on your back with your knees placed on ball, brace your abdomen and do not let your spine move. Hold your arms straight out, parallel to your thighs. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off of the floor; then curl your upper back up as if your arms are being pulled. Lower. Repeat 10 times.

ABDOMINAL BRACE WALK-OUT: While sitting on the ball, begin to walk away from the ball, allowing the ball to roll up your back. Maintain your abdominal brace. Hold this position 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

BALL BRACE WITH LEG LIFT: While in position on the ball with an abdominal brace, lift your foot off of the floor about 3 to 4 inches and keep your knee bent. Lower your foot but stay bridged while you hold your abdominal brace. Alternate each 10 times.

BALL BRACE WITH LEG KICK: While in position on the ball with an abdominal brace, straighten your knee keeping your thighs parallel. Bring your leg down, but stay bridged while you hold your abdominal brace. Alternate each leg 10 times.

with a rehab ballThese exercises should be done at least 2 times a day. Warm up first with a hot shower, heating pad or hot water bottle. If you need pain medication take it about one half hour before you exercise. You should have some pain with the exercises but it should last only 10 or 15 minutes. It should take only 10 or 15 minutes to do all your exercises.