How to do it
No equipment needed - just a bit of space.
Choose one everyday movement you have been avoiding because you expect it to hurt - for example bending to the floor, reaching overhead, or twisting to look behind you. Work somewhere you feel safe and unhurried.
- Break the movement into a ladder of small steps, from a version that feels easy up to the full movement.
- Rate how worried you feel about each step from 0 to 10.
- Start with a step you rate around 3 or 4 - challenging but manageable.
- Repeat that step calmly several times until your worry about it drops.
- When a step feels routine, move up to the next one on your ladder.
- Practise little and often rather than in one long session.
Form cues
- You are working at a level that feels challenging but not frightening.
- Some extra pain during the movement is expected and settles afterwards - hurt does not always mean harm.
- Your confidence with each step grows as you repeat it.
Common mistakes
- Jumping straight to the hardest version before the earlier steps feel comfortable.
- Holding your breath and bracing hard through the movement - let it be as relaxed as you can.
- Avoiding the movement for days after a small flare instead of easing back one step.
Safety: Stop and message your physio if you get a sudden sharp giving-way, or new numbness, pins and needles, or weakness in an arm or leg.