Seated forward bend
Sit and lean forward, letting your hands slide down towards the floor.
- Hold 20 seconds
- 5 times
Should feel: Relief in the legs Should not feel: Increased leg pain
Home / Patient library / Exercise sheets / Sheet 04
Stenosis exercises
Neck & back · Spinal stenosis
How to use this sheet. Do the exercises slowly. Stop before the pain builds — mild discomfort is fine, sharp pain is not. A little every day beats a lot once a week.
A4 PDF, 0.4 MB. Free to download — no sign-up, no email address needed.
Knee to chest
Lie on your back, bring one knee gently towards the chest, then the other. When this is easy, bring both knees up together.
- Hold 15 seconds
- 5 times
Should feel: The lower back opening out Should not feel: Sharp back pain
Pelvic tilt
Lie with knees bent and flatten the lower back into the floor.
- 10 times
- 2 times a day
Should feel: The tummy working Should not feel: Anything sharp
Supported forward lean
Lean on a trolley or a worktop. Notice you can stand longer this way.
- Use when walking
Should feel: Legs easing Should not feel: Leg pain or heaviness building — stop and sit down
Walking
Walk in short blocks. Sit before the pain builds, then carry on. A static bicycle is a good alternative, because you lean forward on it.
- Little and often
- Every day
Should feel: Distance building slowly Should not feel: Pushing through heavy legs
Core brace
Lie on your back, knees bent, back resting naturally. Tighten the lower tummy gently as if bracing for a poke, without moving the back. Keep breathing.
- Hold 10 seconds
- 10 times
- 2 times a day
Should feel: A firm, gentle tension in the lower tummy Should not feel: Holding your breath, or back pain
Bridging
Lie on your back, knees bent. Tighten the tummy first, then lift the hips only until the body is in a straight line from shoulders to knees. Do not arch the back. Hold, then lower slowly.
- Hold 5 seconds
- 10 times
- Daily
Should feel: The buttocks working Should not feel: The back arching, or back pain
Hamstring stretch, lying
Lie on your back. Hold behind one thigh with both hands, or loop a towel around the foot, and straighten the knee until you feel a stretch behind the thigh. Keep the other leg bent with the foot on the floor.
- Hold 20–30 seconds
- 3 each side
- Daily
Should feel: A stretch behind the thigh Should not feel: Back pain, or pain shooting down the leg
Stop and telephone us if
- The pain is getting worse, not better, after two weeks
- You get new numbness, tingling or weakness
- You cannot pass urine or you leak without knowing, or you have numbness between your legs — GO TO HOSPITAL NOW
- You feel unwell or feverish
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