Release Your Low Back Tension
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This is one of my favorite low back releases to give people, and it costs almost nothing. All you need is a 5-inch playground ball and enough floor space to lie down. Here is how it works.
What You Need
One 5-inch playground ball, air-filled. Not sand- or water-filled. Those are too firm. You need the give of air so your pelvis can actually melt into it.
Setup
Lie on your back and place the ball just under your sacrum, right above where the good Lord split ya.
Let your pelvis soften over the ball with your hip bones pointing straight up to the sky. This is your starting position for everything that follows.
..... Navel is 12 o’clock. Pubic bone is 6. Left hip is 3. Right hip is 9.
All movement is small and intentional.
Step 1 | Front to Back (12 and 6)
Gently tip your pelvis toward 12 (rolling slightly toward your face), then toward 6 (letting your seat press lightly back). Rock slowly between the two, 5 to 6 reps each direction. Return to center.
Step 2 | Side to Side (3 and 9)
Swivel gently from 3 to 9, left to right. You are mobilizing the pelvis relative to the ribcage and femurs. Keep your legs quiet. They may shift slightly, but you do not want them actively dropping side to side. Use your arms on the floor for stability. 5 to 6 reps.
Tip: less is more here. Tiny, controlled movement creates more release than big ones.
Step 3 | Full Clock Circles
Now trace the entire clock face.
Starting at 12, roll toward 3, continue to 6, then 9, and back to 12.
Clockwise first, 3 to 4 slow circles. Then reverse counterclockwise, 3 to 4 circles.
Keep the movement smaller than you expect. You are not rolling dramatically side to side. You are mobilizing the low back, creating space in the SI joints (those are the ones that get cranky and stiff on most people).
The release comes from the subtlety.
A Note Before You Start
This should feel like a release. If you feel pain, remove the ball immediately.
You can do this entire series flat on a mat or on the carriage of a Pilates machine without the ball and still get the benefit. It will feel different, but the mobilization is the same.
I hope this serves you.
DM me @amyjordanofficial if you have any questions.