You may wish to use a small flat pillow underneath your tummy and hips as you do this exercise.  Lie on your front on a firm surface, place your hands flat on the surface, just above the tips of your shoulders and push up to raise your upper body without straining. Try to raise up so that your elbows nearly straighten but do not raise your hips from the floor. Lower straight away, and repeat again so that you move up and down in a slow smooth rhythm.

How many how often?

Try doing 10 to 15 exercises at a time, in 2 or 3 sets, with a rest in between then stand up again.  You can repeat this again in the day.  If you find this helpful it can be done at intervals in the day depending on your pain and stiffness.

What is the benefit of this exercise?

To control and reduce back pain, especially if your back is painful during or after sitting, and also if you have difficulty with forward bending or straightening back up after bending forwards.

What can I expect to happen?

After some early stiffness in the first few hours and days after starting this exercise, your mobility should improve. Your flexibility when doing the exercise should get better, and your general back pain when resting could improve also.

Works best with?

Prone on elbows as you start to improve, pelvic tilting,  Early muscle work, walking.