Move gently and stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, numbness, or symptoms that feel unsafe. This routine is general fitness guidance, not medical care.
Exercises
1. Hand Plank
2 sets · 20s hold · 25s rest
Hold a high plank with straight arms. Keep the body long, breathe steadily, and lower the knees if the position feels too intense.
Steps
Start on all fours with your hands flat on the floor directly under your shoulders.
Step both feet back one at a time until your legs are straight and your body is in a long line.
Press the floor away to spread your shoulder blades and keep a slight rounding through the upper back.
Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs to stop your hips from sagging or piking up.
Hold the position with steady breathing, eyes looking down between your hands to keep a neutral neck.
Lower your knees back to the floor with control after the target time and rest before the next set.
Cues
Press the floor away.
Body stays long.
Breathe steadily.
Common mistakes
Letting the hips sag toward the floor, which loads the lower back instead of the abs.
Piking the hips up high, which turns the plank into a partial downward dog and removes the core challenge.
Letting the head drop or crane forward, which strains the neck and breaks the body's straight line.
Locking the elbows and sinking into the shoulders instead of pressing the floor away.
2. Elbow Side Plank
2 sets · 20s hold · 30s rest · both sides
Elbow under the shoulder and hips lifted into one line. Drop to the bottom knee if the hips start to sag.
Steps
Lie on your side with your forearm flat on the floor and your elbow stacked directly under your shoulder.
Stack your feet on top of each other and engage your core to create tension through your whole body.
Lift your hips off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your head to your feet.
Brace your top hand on your hip or extend it straight up toward the ceiling for balance.
Hold the position with steady breathing, keeping your hips lifted and your shoulders square.
Lower your hips back down with control after the target time, then switch sides and repeat.
Cues
Elbow under shoulder.
Hips lifted.
Body in one line.
Common mistakes
Letting the hips sag toward the floor mid-hold, which removes the obliques from the work and loads the shoulder.
Rotating the chest toward the floor instead of keeping the torso stacked and squared up.
Placing the supporting elbow ahead of or behind the shoulder, which strains the shoulder joint.
Holding your breath through the set instead of breathing steadily, which cuts hold time short.
3. Supermans
2 sets · 10 reps · 20s rest
Lift the chest and legs only a little. Height is not the point; a long neck and steady breathing are.
Steps
Lie face-down on a mat with your arms extended overhead and your legs straight behind you.
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes to set tension before lifting anything off the floor.
Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the floor at the same time, leading with the upper back.
Hold the top position for a full 1 to 2 seconds, squeezing the lower back and glutes tight.
Lower everything back to the floor slowly over 2 to 3 seconds, keeping the neck in line with the spine.
Repeat for 10 to 15 reps, prioritizing a smooth lift and squeeze over how high you go.
Cues
Small lift.
Neck stays long.
Lower slowly.
Common mistakes
Cranking the head up to the ceiling, which strains the neck instead of working the back.
Using momentum to bounce the chest and legs up instead of lifting with control.
Holding the breath through the rep, which spikes blood pressure unnecessarily.
Trying to lift extremely high, which compresses the lower back instead of strengthening it.
4. Bodyweight Spinal Jefferson Curl
1 set · 6 reps · 15s rest
Roll down segment by segment with soft knees, then stack back up slowly. Keep the range small and comfortable.
Steps
Stand tall on a flat surface with feet hip-width apart and arms hanging in front of your thighs.
Tuck your chin to your chest and start rolling down slowly, one vertebra at a time.
Continue folding forward through the upper back, then mid-back, then lower back as you descend.
Let your arms hang relaxed in front of your shins and reach for the floor without straining.
Pause briefly at the bottom, feeling the stretch through the entire back of the body.
Reverse the motion by rolling back up segment by segment until you stand fully tall again.
Cues
Segment by segment.
Knees stay soft.
Return slowly.
Common mistakes
Folding from the hips only instead of rounding the spine — defeats the entire point of the drill.
Bending the knees too much, which removes the hamstring stretch and shortens the load on the back.
Going too heavy too soon — this is a mobility tool, not a strength lift.
Snapping back up to standing instead of rolling up segment by segment under control.