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Robin McKenzie, a New Zealand physiotherapist, built a treatment system around this extension principle in the 1950s. A 2004 systematic review in the Australian Journal of Physiotherapy pooled 6 randomized trials and found the approach reduced pain and disability in the short term more than other standard therapies. For a back that worsens when you sit or bend, I rank the press-up among the most useful self-care moves available.
Hold the top of each press-up for 1 to 2 seconds, then lower slowly. If stiffness or leg pain tracks closer to the center of your back with each rep (clinicians call this centralization), the direction is right. If pain moves further into the leg or foot, stop and see your doctor.
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Extension is not for every back. Spinal stenosis narrows the canal when you arch. The pattern is distinct: leg heaviness or numbness that eases when you lean forward (pushing a shopping cart, for instance) and worsens when you stand straight. If that fits, skip the press-up and stay with flexion-based movement. Ask your doctor before adding extension if you have a stenosis diagnosis.
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✅ The 30-Second Fix
Skip the toe-touch. Lie face-down on a firm surface, palms beside your shoulders, and press up 10 times. Hold each rep 1 to 2 seconds, then lower. Do one set every two hours. Note whether the stiffness pattern changes.
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More Back Wins
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Tuck a rolled hand towel behind your lower back when you drive. A car seat curves the lumbar spine into flexion for the entire trip. The roll holds a slight arch and keeps disc pressure lower.
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Hinge at the hips when you pick something off the floor. Push your hips back as if sitting into a tall chair and keep your chest up. The load goes through your glutes instead of your discs.
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Walk for 2 minutes after a long drive before lifting from the trunk. Sustained sitting squeezes fluid out of the discs. Brief upright movement lets them settle before you add a heavy load.
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Quick Vote
Which direction will you try when your back stiffens?
From the Mailbag
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“I’ve been bending forward to stretch my back every morning for 20 years. Should I stop?”
Frank, 63
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Frank, if 20 years of toe-touches have not caused pain or leg symptoms, your discs handle flexion well. I would keep going. The swap matters most when stiffness gets worse with sitting and bending, or when pain pulls into a buttock or leg. If you notice more tightness after your morning stretch than before it, try the press-up for two weeks and compare.
Got an ache question? I read every one.
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