Kinematics Exercise Videos

This exercise promotes mobility of your upper back (thoracic spine) into extension, in order to counteract the forward flexion compensations prolonged sitting has on the spine.

You should feel this exercise mobilising your upper back and opening through your chest.

This exercise focuses on activating the muscles between your shoulder blades, which help to keep your shoulders back in an optimal position. Sufficient engagement of these muscles also encourages a more neutral position of your head and neck.

You should feel this exercises working the muscles between your shoulder blades.

Tip: We recommend completing wall slides after you've completed exercise 1 (thoracic extension) so you can achieve more effective activation.

This exercise aims to improve upper back (thoracic) rotation, which is an essential movement required for everyday function. Open books also lengthen the pectoral muscles which often become short from prolonged sitting, allowing you to feel more 'open' through the front of the chest.

You should feel this exercise mobilising your upper back and stretching through the front of your chest and shoulder.

This exercise aims to promote mobility through the front of your hips by lengthening your hip flexor muscles. Prolonged sitting causes these muscles to shorten, which can alter the posture of your pelvis and lower back (lumbar spine).

You should feel this exercise stretching through the front of your hip and upper thigh.

This exercise aims to activate and strengthen your glutes to promote pelvic stability in a functional position. Your glutes commonly become tight and weak from prolonged sitting, which can lead to poor lumbo-pelvic posture.

You should feel this exercise predominantly working the glutes of your standing leg (but may also feel some activation through your moving leg).

Tip: We recommend completing scooters after you've completed exercise 4 (hip flexor lunge) so you can achieve more effective activation.

Your hamstrings and sciatic nerve run down the back of each leg and can become shortened from prolonged sitting (due to a change in pelvic positioning and prolonged knee flexion). Restriction of mobility in these areas can contribute to inefficient pelvic and lower limb biomechanics.

This exercise promotes mobility of the hamstrings, sciatic nerve and spine. You should feel this exercise stretching the tissues in back of your leg, as well as through the side of your trunk.

If you are experiencing acute low back pain, this exercise is not recommended without specific prescription from your health practitioner.

The latissimus dorsi (lat) is a large, flat muscle triangular muscle on your back attaching to the spine, lower ribs and across to the shoulder. The lat plays a huge role in shoulder function, breathing mechanics and any activity that requires a pulling movement (i.e pull ups, swimming etc).

The lat commonly becomes tight from prolonged sitting as the muscle is in a shortened position when the arms are rested by your side. Due to the multi-functional nature of the lat, shortening of this muscle can result in inefficient biomechanics of the shoulder, trunk and pelvis.

This exercise promotes mobility of the shoulder and spine. You should feel this exercise stretching through the side of your body (that's holding the band).

Mobility of the ankle joint is essential in order to efficiently perform everyday activities such as walking, running and squatting. Inability to upward flex your ankle can result in compensatory movement patterns including, excessive foot pronation (flattening of arches) and adapting a wider base of support. There are many predisposing factors to a reduction in ankle mobility including footwear, a sedentary lifestyle and previous injury.

This exercise promotes mobility at the ankle joint while also stretching the deep calf muscles. You should feel this exercise stretching though your ankle joint and lower calf muscle.

Your adductors are a group of muscles which originate from the pelvis and run down the inside of your thigh. Biomechanically, they function with the glute muscles to support the same side limb during single leg stance. Your adductors commonly become tight and weak due to prolonged periods of sitting. This often results in a reduction in hip range and can also predispose you to a pelvic imbalance.

This exercise aims to mobilise your adductors as well as other muscles of the hip (e.g hamstrings) to encourage symmetrical pelvic alignment and improve hip mobility. You should feel this exercise intensely stretching through the insides of your groin and thighs.

Your pec muscles are located at the front of your chest, connecting your chest to your shoulder and arm bones. The pecs commonly become tight from prolonged sitting as the muscle is in a shortened position when your shoulders round forwards.

This exercise aims to mobilise your pecs to encourage an opening of your chest, and establish a more neutral position of your shoulder joint. You should feel this exercise stretching through the front of your chest, shoulder and forearm.

Your quadratus lumborum (QL) muscles sit deep to your superficial lower back muscles and run between your lowest rib and pelvic bones. Unilaterally the QL functions to side bend your trunk, while a bilateral contraction will extend your lower back.

Therefore, tightness of your QL muscle(s) can lead to a pelvic imbalance, which is why it's important to release this area when managing LBP.

Your glute muscles are located in your buttocks and are responsible for pelvic stability and movements of the hip. Sitting for prolonged periods can cause shortening and weakening of these muscles, which can predispose you to developing a pelvic imbalance and/or LBP.

Therefore, releasing these muscles can be an effective exercise in the management of LBP.

Your core consists of both superficial (internal and external obliques and rectus abdominus) and deep (transverse abdominis and pelvic floor) muscles which act to stabilise your spine. Therefore, poor core engagement can lead to LBP.

This exercise promotes activation of these muscles to build trunk control. You should feel this exercise activating your core, specifically your lower abdominals and obliques.

Your hamstrings are a group of three long muscles located at the back of the thigh, connecting the bottom of the pelvis and the knee. Tight hamstrings can affect pelvic alignment and therefore predispose you to lower back pain. Your sciatic nerve branches from your lower back through your hips and buttocks and down each leg. Therefore, surrounding hamstring and glute tightness can contribute to neural tension and sensitivity.

This exercise aims to mobilise both the hamstring and sciatic nerve, to assist in the management of LBP. You should feel this exercise stretching the tissues in the back of your leg.

Your adductors are a group of muscles which originate from the pelvis and run down the inside of your thigh. Biomechanically, they function with the glute muscles to support the same side limb during single leg stance. When your adductors become tight and weak, it can predispose you to a pelvic imbalance and LBP.

This exercise aims to mobilise your adductors as well as other muscles of the hip (e.g hip flexors) to encourage symmetrical pelvic alignment and reduce the likelihood of LBP. You should feel this exercise intensely stretching through the insides of your groin.