STRETCHES and EXERCISES for
COMMON AILMENTS. Version 2025-01-04

This is not medical advice. Do not do any stretch beyond pain level 2 over 10.

General Strength and Limbering for Everyone

Thanks to many sources on YouTube

Squat and Tiptoe. Stand facing a wall, with your fingertips touching the wall so you can steady yourself if needed. With feet flat on the floor, slowly lower to a buttocks-protruding position. Keep your back straight. Hold a few seconds, then straighten up and end by rising on tiptoe. Hold a few seconds. Do 10 reps. Exercises many muscles and enhances balance, stability.

Both-legs Scrunch. Lie on back with knees bent (feet on floor); raise both knees, lifting your pelvis and rounding your back slightly. Keep head and neck relaxed, resting on a pillow. Use hands to gently pull knees toward your chest until you feel the stretch or slight discomfort, but not to point of pain. Wiggle the knees slightly. Variations: sway knees side to side slightly. Or one leg at a time, making circles with the foot.

Plank. Lie face down, then rise to support yourself on your elbows and toes. Important: Do NOT over-engage your back muscles; better to sag slightly. Hold 30 seconds or whatever you are capable of. Try to do 120 seconds daily even if not in one try. If resting on toes is too difficult, start by resting on knees. Strengthens core muscles.

Child’s Pose or Kowtow. Rest on haunches with arms stretched out in front and face close to floor. Aim for 2-5 minutes daily. Relaxes many muscles.

Basic Bridge. Lie down with knees bent. Use abdominal, buttocks, and thigh muscles to rise to bridge position, then return to flat on back. Important: Do NOT arch your back in an attempt to thrust your stomach higher. Do NOT rise by pushing with your feet; rather, use your abdominal and thigh muscles. Your body should be straight like the picture, or even slightly sagging. Aim for a complete relaxation of the muscles in between repetitions. Incorporate Kegels (see below). Do at least 20. If you have knee discomfort, instead of repetitions, you can also do a simple Bridge Hold, for 1-2 minutes; relax; repeat. Strengthens glutes and groin, trims abdomen.

Hip Loosening and Strengthening Exercises

Thanks to Shrey Vazir, Alyssa Kuhn/Vive Health, Matt Hsu/Upright Health, David of El Paso Manual Physical Therapy.
Not for Persons with Hip Replacements

Slow Squat and Tiptoe. Stand facing a wall with palms lightly against the wall. Slowly lower to a moderate squat and hold a few seconds; don’t fall by gravity, but rather use your buttocks and thighs to control the descent. Now rise quickly to starting position and keep going until standing on tiptoe; hold a few seconds. Do 10 reps several times a day.

Free Leg Swing. Have one foot in a shoe or slipper. Swing the other foot gently forward and back. Switch to other foot (footwear too).

Thigh Wiggle. Sit on a chair with feet resting about 16 inches apart. Hold thighs lightly, push knees inward then let them naturally return outward. Keep pushing and releasing while developing a slow, “springy” rhythm. Do this 5 minutes a time, several times a day. Moves hip lubricating fluid around and nourishes cartilage without engaging any hip or leg muscles.

Hula Hip. Stand with feet about 18 inches apart. While keeping head and shoulders still, make slow circles with your hips, as if hula-hooping, 5 full circles in each direction.

Hip Extension. Lean into a wall, etc. Bend one leg at the knee, then swing the leg back and up while holding the knee bend. Keep your spine straight. Return to starting position. 5 each leg.

Hip Flexion. Stand sideways to the wall, feet together, and use one hand on the wall to keep your balance. Raise one knee as far up toward your chest as you can. Keep your spine straight. Return to feet-together position.

Try to Touch Your Toes But Do It Right. Knees should be straight but not necessarily locked. Spine should be straight (not curled forward). With palms on thighs, slowly bend from the waist, and go down your thighs/shins with your fingers, as far as needed to feel a slight stretch in the backs of your thighs and calves. Hold. Aim to reach lower over time.

Sciatica, Slipped Disc, Spinal Stenosis Relief

Thanks to Michael Rowe, James Vegher, Yoga with Joelle, and Bob the Physio on YouTube

Sciatica is characterized by a pain or soreness in one buttock that radiates down the leg, causing weakness or numbness. The source of pain could be a bulging/slipped disc (the cushioning between vertebrae), spinal stenosis, or a vertebral injury or deformation pinching the sciatic nerve. These stretches should help in most cases. Never carry any stretch beyond mild discomfort. If after a few days of these stretches your background pain gets worse, STOP and seek medical help.

Pelvic Lift. Tilt your pelvis upward about an inch, pulling in your lower abdomen. It is easiest to do this on your back with knees bent for support, but you can learn to do it seated or standing. Do NOT engage other muscles. Do periodically throughout the day. It may not seem that this does anything, but it has a good chance to relieve sciatic pain.

Glute Squeezes and Holds. Find your buttocks muscles with your mind. Squeeze them. Do NOT engage your back or upper abdomen muscles. Do throughout the day.

Cat and Cow. Get down on hands and knees. Arch your spine slightly (your head will look forward). That’s the Cow. Hold 2 seconds, then curve your back upward (your head will tilt down). That’s the Cat. Hold 2 seconds. Do NOT strain. Loosens the spinal discs.

Rocking Child’s Pose. Rest on your hands and knees, then gently rock back towards a Child’s Pose (only as far as comfortable without straining). Rock slowly for 2 minutes.

Clamshell. Lie on back with knees bent. Slowly spread knees until they are flat on the floor, or as far as you can without pain.

Supported Figure Z. Use three firm pillows or a bench suited for your height. Lie down and rest your knees on the pillows/bench; seen from your left, your body is forming a loose figure Z. Rest there periodically during the day.

Overhead Stretch. Stand (from seated) and raise arms with palms locked, facing up.

Knees-Together Sway. Draw knees up enough that your feet are off the floor. Tilt right and left gently while slightly lifting both buttocks. 60 seconds.

Spread-Leg Sway. Lie with knees bent, feet 24-30 inches apart. Gently sway left and right. Keep buttocks, shoulders level with floor.

Pillows Below Stomach. Pile three firm pillows on a hard surface. Lie face down, resting your navel-groin area on the pillows. Relax all your muscles and let your body collapse naturally over the pillows. Remain for several minutes.

Sideways Synchronized Shoulder-Hip Slide. Lie sideways with a firm pillow supporting the head; arms at a right angle to the body, one palm exactly on top of the other; knees bent and aligned; shoulders, hips, and torso exactly perpendicular to the bed to avoid twisting of the spine. The movement is simple. Slide your upper palm a few inches over, making sure to move the shoulder, hip, and upper knee by exactly the same distance. Avoid spine twisting. Slide back and forth slowly.

Outer Hip/Outer Thigh Pain

Thanks to Michael Rowe on YouTube

Warmup. Prayer Squat. Stand with feet almost a meter apart and toes pointed. Bring palms together and slowly squat, careful to keep torso upright and knees far apart. Hold 5 seconds, then rise. 5 reps.

Hip Lift. Stand on a step. With one leg dangling, lower and raise your dangling hip slowly. Keep your body straight; do not curve sideways.

Fetal Kick. Lie on side in a fetal position. Extend upper leg forward as if kicking; rotate toe 3 times clock/anti-clock. Now extend backwards, rotating toe. 5 reps.

Both Legs Bent on Floor. Sit as shown, with thighs at right angles. Now lean forward, supporting yourself with your free arm (the man’s left arm in the picture, moving in front of right shin). Gently feel the stretch. Switch.

Piriformis Strengthening Exercise

Thanks to Precision Movement on YouTube

If the stretches in the previous sections don’t yield lasting relief, you may need to strengthen your Piriformis muscle. Sideways Leg Lift and Twist. Lie on your side. Lift the free leg 3-4 inches then twist the whole leg to point your toes upward. Hold 20 seconds. Peeing Dog. Get down on hands and knees. Swivel one knee sideways but keep navel pointed down. Standing Peeing Dog. Stand beside wall, touch to steady. Raise outside knee; swing outward. 5 seconds, 6 reps.

Knee Pain and Stiffness Relief

Thanks to Drew Van Zee (“the Knee Pain Magician”) on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qceGYo9r0OM&t=645s and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irjWB4rpmfw

Seated Calf Stretch. Sit on a chair as shown. Extend foot straight out and point that toe upward. Feel the stretch in your calf. Now bend forward gently, which will stretch the calf muscles more. Sit up, then bend forward again; repeat several times. Change leg.

Standing Ankle Twist then Knee Bend. Stand as shown with feet at about right angles while facing in direction of the forward foot. Focus on the rear foot and lift the outer/back edge up, twisting your ankle. Repeat several times. Now, with the same leg, slightly bend the knee, straighten, bend, straighten, bend. Change legs.

Half-Kneeling Half-Standing Pelvic Thrust. Rest knee on padded chair as shown, with the other leg straight and firmly on floor. Now do gentle Pelvic Lifts (see Sciatica, above) — little upward-thrusting motions of the pelvis and hips. Do this for a minute without rushing. Then change legs.

Ankle Rotation. Wrap a belt or resistance band around your foot (the foot on the same side as your knee pain). Rotate the ankle out, down and around, and back up. Avoid moving the leg. Do 10 circles, then reverse direction. If both knees hurt, you can do both ankles at the same time by using a resistance band with hand-grips at both ends.

Draw a Circle with the Knee. (This is really to enhance mobility of your hip.) Hold on to a support with the opposite hand. (1) Lift the painful knee until it’s pointing out and your thigh is perpendicular to the floor. (2) Swing the knee outward without moving your torso. (3) Trace a descending half-circle with the knee, (4) ending with the knee touching the other knee. Then lift to return to Position 1. Do 8 circles. Reverse direction.

Draw a Circle with the Palm. (This is really to enhance mobility of your opposite elbow, which is neurologically linked to the opposite knee, the painful one.) Move the leg with the painful knee a bit forward. (1) Extend the opposite arm outward with palm down. (2) Swing palm inward as if to slash neck. (3) Make a fist so the hand can pass under your chin. (4) Keep going until the fist is pointing backward. (5) Flip elbow open and open fist so palm is facing up. Finish by simply turning palm back to starting position. Do 10, then reverse.

Most Important of All — Correct Walking Technique ! ! !

Synthesized from various sources.

Many foot, knee, hip, back, shoulder, and neck pains are caused or aggravated by incorrect walking technique. There are so many YouTube videos on how to walk properly that you are liable to just get confused, especially because most are wrong. Here are the basics. (The closest video I found was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2TfeNnYawU )

Walk erect. Head up, shoulders neither rounded forward nor pulled back exaggeratedly. Your aim is to keep your head and upper torso more or less in your center of gravity so that you don’t subconsciously use muscle power to keep yourself from falling forward or backward.
Push off with your toes. This is the hardest technique to learn and to keep doing. Practice. Start by standing with feet together. Now flex one foot’s toes and use that flex to initiate your forward propulsion. With each step, flex the rear toes to assist in the forward motion. Failure to do this will strain your hips and thighs.
Land with your body weight over the landing foot, not behind it. If you pushed off with your toes, your body will have moved forward just enough that the forward foot hits the ground almost directly below the body, while the rear foot/leg is still bearing much of your weight. If instead you kick your foot forward, then each time you land almost all your body weight will fall on the forward leg, and that impact will travel all the way up your legs, hips, spine, and neck.
Land with the bottom of your heel, not the back of the heel at an angle to the pavement. If you land with your toes noticeably elevated, your heel bone will take most of the impact, and again transfer the shock all the way up your body. Some sources suggest landing on the ball of the foot (the part just behind the toes), but this requires using your arches as the shock absorbers (risky), and it does not “prep” your toes to push off for the next stride. I don’t agree with this idea.
After landing on the bottom of the heel, rock forward and push off with the toes. The “rocking forward” motion absorbs the rest of the shock (just like rolling to “break” a fall), and puts your toes in the right position to push off for the next stride.

Ankle and Leg Bloating (Poor Circulation)

Thanks to Shrey Vazir on YouTube.

Age and sitting or standing for long periods can lead blood to pool in your legs (ankles to thighs). These exercises are not for immediate relief, but strengthen certain muscles in your legs that aid with blood circulation. Do these daily and you should see results in a week.

Seated Foot Flex. Sit or lie somewhere you can extend your legs and elevate them on a pillow slightly higher than your hips. Flex your feet at the heels so the toes point toward you, then in the opposite direction away. Do 30 slow repetitions (all at once, or in sets).

Lying Foot Flex. Lie on the floor (carpet or yoga mat) in front of a chair where you can rest your calves, forming a figure Z with your body. Do 30 foot flexes.

Stairway Foot Flex. Holding a handrail for stability, position your feet on a stair tread with the rear of the feet dangling (you will be facing upwards, the same direction as climbing). Do 30 foot flexes.

Kegel Exercises

Thanks to Arkady Lipnitsky on YouTube

Kegels are exercises to improve circulation in the groin area, improve sexual sensation, and strengthen orgasms. Mentally focus on scrotum (men) or same region (women). Now try to draw that area inward, into the body. Hold 5 seconds, then totally relax. Do 10-20 repetitions at a time. Various Body Positions for performing the basic motion:

Lying down flat on back.
Lying down with knees drawn up, feet on floor.
With Bridge repetitions, as you rise.
Standing. When standing in line, for example.

Neck Pain and Soreness 1

Thanks to David of El Paso Manual Physical Therapy

The objective is to give the neck muscles a workout.

Scarf Massage. Hold a silk scarf around neck. Pull one end down, use the other end to tug the head sideways. Work down the neck.

Upright Chin Tuck/Look Down. Scrunch neck to create a double chin. You should feel slight tension in the throat. Once you are sure you have this right, look down and touch your chin against your chest. Do 10 slow reps.

Lying Chin Tuck/Look Down. Lie down flat. Chin tuck. Raise head off floor to touch chin to chest, while looking toward your feet. Hold 10 seconds.

Chin Tuck/Shrug. Chin tuck, then raise shoulders toward ears as if to shrug. Keep raising your arms until you form a V, maintaining the chin tuck and the shrug. Hold 10 seconds.

Neck Pain and Soreness 2

(This one is my own.)

Weight-Assisted Shoulder Tug. This exercise won’t give immediate relief, but might by the following day. Dangle a 2-5 kilo weight from each hand. Don’t grip tight. Rotate your shoulders up in a forward motion, then let them drop, allowing the weights to slightly jerk your arms downward. Then rotate your shoulders backward. 10-20 reps. Last, with small shoulder twists, swing your arms/weights gently around your hips. Let the weights thus pull on your arms. Do not twist your body at the hip.

Tai-Chi Exercises

From Wudang Zigong, YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFXHBVUc3dQ
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWMPh_wAPQI&t=4s

3 minutes each

ACTIVITIES / EXERCISES TO AVOID !

Some sources have argued against certain stretches and exercises with some persuasiveness. Thanks especially to David of El Paso.

Cobra Stretch. Lying face down and using arms to lift your upper body and force a backward arch of your spine. This often-suggested yoga stretch narrows the rear gaps between vertebrae and stresses the entire length of the spine.

Any Form of Repetitive Straight-Leg Lift (includes “bird-dog”). Will develop back muscles and constrict nerves in lumbar area.

Exaggerated Lumbar Seat-back Adjustment. Excess pressure on lumbar area may further inflame pinched nerves.

Severe Crossing-Legs Stretches. (male figure-4), or habitually crossing legs during the day. Mild stretches only.

Lying-Down Exercises that Require Raising Upper Back and/or Legs Off Floor. “Crunches” are the worst. Strains spine, over-develops back, and tightens hamstrings.