|
Monday, October 5, 2026
The Hack
The back fix you do lying face down
Ten slow press-ups with your hips on the floor, done after every long sit.
Sitting, driving and tying your shoes all bend your lower back forward. Today’s move bends it the other way, for about two minutes at a time.
The move is a prone press-up, from the McKenzie method, a physical therapy approach built on repeated back-bending. You lie face down, hands under your shoulders, and push your chest up while your hips stay on the floor. Your arms do the lifting; your lower back stays loose and sags.
In a 2006 review of 11 trials, McKenzie therapy was linked to slightly less pain after one week than passive care such as advice leaflets, in people with recent low back pain. The gain was small and short term. For a move that costs nothing and needs no equipment, I’d try it.
|
1 min
lying flat first
|
10
press-ups per set
|
3–4x
sets a day
|
|
Press only as high as feels comfortable. Halfway up, resting on your forearms, is enough for the first day. Straighten your arms further only once the lower range feels easy.
|
Watch where the pain goes. If an ache in your buttock or thigh shifts toward your spine as you repeat the press-ups, McKenzie therapists count that as a good sign. If pain travels further down your leg, or you feel numbness or tingling, stop and see your doctor. If you have been told you have spinal stenosis, ask before starting: bending backward often aggravates it.
|
|
✅ The 2-Minute Fix
Do one set now. Lie face down on a carpet or a firm bed, arms by your sides, head turned to one side, for one minute. Then put your hands under your shoulders and press your chest up slowly, hips staying down. Hold for 2 seconds at the top, lower, and repeat 10 times. Do another set after each long sit today.
I’m trying this →
Join today’s streak
|
More Back Wins
| ● |
No floor? Stand and lean. Put your hands on the small of your back and lean back gently 10 times. Same direction as the press-up, and you can do it at the office.
|
| ● |
Set a 30-minute timer. When it rings, stand up for 60 seconds. Shorter sits mean less forward bending to undo.
|
| ● |
Roll a towel for the car. Roll a hand towel to the width of your palm and put it behind you at belt level. It holds the inward curve of your lower back on long drives.
|
Quick Vote
Where will you do your press-ups?
From the Mailbag
|
“My back is at its worst first thing. Can I do these before I get out of bed?”
Linda, 63
|
Yes, Linda, if the mattress is firm enough that your hips stay put when you push. Roll onto your stomach, lie flat for a minute, then do five gentle press-ups instead of ten. Spinal discs hold more fluid after a night lying down, so keep the first set of the day small and save the full ten for after breakfast.
Got an ache question? I read every one.
|
