5 A Day - Low Impact Exercises

Keep fit and mobile while avoiding the “No Pain – No Gain” trap with these simple, low-impact, exercises.

High-impact training, such as road running, can act like a hammer on your spine and joints.

Here are 5 low-impact, "spine-friendly" exercises you can do at home to build strength without the wear and tear. 

 1. The Bird-Dog 

This is the gold standard for core stability. It targets the multifidus muscles, the tiny stabilisers that wrap around your spine. 

How to do it

Get on all fours. Simultaneously extend your right arm forward and your left leg back. 

Top Tip

Imagine a hot cup of coffee resting on your lower back. Don't let your hips tilt, or you'll "spill" it. 

Why it works

It reinforces the "cross-body" neurological patterns that keep you upright and balanced. 

2. Glute Bridges 

Strengthen your gluteal muscles to help with posture, stability and movement. 

How to do it

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Lift your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top. 

Top Tip

Push through your heels, not your toes. This ensures the hamstrings and glutes take the load, sparing your knees. 

Why it works

Strong glutes act as shock absorbers for your lumbar spine. 

3. Wall Slides 

We live in a "forward-leaning" world (phones, laptops, driving). This exercise counters that by strengthening the postural muscles between your shoulder blades. 

How to do it

Stand with your back, head, and elbows against a wall. Slowly slide your arms up into a "Y" shape and back down into a "W." 

The Pro Tip

Keep your lower back pressed against the wall the whole time. If it arches, you’ve gone too high. 

Why it works

It opens the chest and resets the scapula, taking the "weight" of your head off your cervical spine. 

4. Modified Dead Bug 

This is the safest way to build "anti-extension" strength, which prevents your back from arching painfully during daily tasks. 

How to do it

Lie on your back with arms reaching up and knees at a 90-degree angle (tabletop). Slowly lower one leg toward the floor, then return. 

Top Tip

Only lower your leg as far as you can without your lower back popping off the floor. 

Why it works

It teaches your deep abdominals to protect your spine while your limbs are in motion. 

5. The "Cat-Cow" Stretch 

While the others build strength, this provides segmental mobility. It’s like WD-40 for your vertebrae. 

How to do it

On all fours, inhale as you drop your belly and look up (Cow), then exhale as you arch your back and tuck your chin (Cat). 

Top Tip

Move slowly—vertebra by vertebra—rather than just "flopping" between positions. 

Why it works

It moves synovial fluid through the spinal joints, reducing morning stiffness.