Lumbar Microdiscectomy Starter Exercise Guide

1. Walking Program

What it helps: Comfortable, frequent walking keeps the joints loose, builds your stamina, and rebuilds confidence on your feet. Little and often beats long and tiring.

How often: throughout the day.

1. Take short walks at a comfortable pace.
2. Increase your distance gradually as you feel able.

Tip: Use your assistive device as directed.

2. Ankle Pumps

What it helps: Keeps blood moving to reduce swelling and the risk of clots while you're less active — small, frequent, and important early on.

How often: 20 repetitions, several times a day.

1. Flex your foot up, pointing your toes toward the ceiling.
2. Point your toes down, away from your body.

Tip: Move slowly and with control.

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing

What it helps: Calms the nervous system and gently engages your deep core — a relaxed, supported way to start any session.

How often: 5–10 breaths repetitions, several times a day.

1. Lie on your back, knees bent, one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose so your belly rises while your chest stays still.
3. Breathe out slowly through pursed lips, letting your belly fall.

Tip: Keep it relaxed — never force the breath.

4. Abdominal Bracing

What it helps: Switches on the deep core muscles that stabilize and protect your spine through everyday movement — lifting, bending, twisting.

How often: hold 5–10s sets of 10, a few times a day.

1. Lie on your back with knees bent.
2. Gently tighten your stomach as if bracing for a light poke — do not suck in or hold your breath.
3. Hold the light tension while breathing normally, then relax.

Tip: Aim for about 20% effort, not a maximal squeeze.

5. Pelvic Tilts

What it helps: Gently keeps the hips and low back moving and re-engages the core, so the whole midsection stays supple and supportive rather than stiff.

How often: 10–15 repetitions, 1–2 times a day.

1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat.
2. Slowly flatten your low back into the floor by tilting your pelvis and tightening your stomach.
3. Hold briefly, then relax back to neutral.

Tip: Move slowly within a comfortable range.

6. Glute Squeezes

What it helps: Wakes up the glutes — the big muscles that steady and support your hip. Getting them firing again is the first step toward a hip that feels stronger and carries you with less strain on the joint.

How often: 2-3 sets of 10, a few times a day.

1. Lie or sit comfortably.
2. Squeeze your buttock muscles together.
3. Hold a few seconds, then relax.

7. Gentle Nerve Glides

What it helps: Helps a healing nerve slide freely, which can ease leg or arm symptoms. Gentle is the rule — never push into sharp pain.

How often: 1–2 sets of 10, 1–2 times a day.

1. Sit tall in a chair.
2. Slowly straighten one knee while flexing your foot up, until you feel a light stretch down the leg.
3. Bend the knee back down — move in and out smoothly.

Tip: Stay in a gentle, pain-free range.

8. Sit-to-Stand

What it helps: Trains the exact strength you use to rise from a chair, a toilet, or a car. Stronger here means more independence and less of a struggle on tough days.

How often: 2-3 sets of 8-10, once or twice a day.

1. Sit at the edge of a sturdy chair.
2. Lean slightly forward and stand up.
3. Lower yourself back down with control.

Tip: Use your arms for support as needed.

What to expect in recovery

The full recovery guide for this procedure: Lumbar Microdiscectomy recovery.

What recovery is like

The recovery arc for this procedure — what each stage generally involves. Read Lumbar Microdiscectomy Recovery.

Recovery reading

• ACDF (Cervical Fusion) Recovery
• Lumbar Fusion Recovery
• Lumbar Microdiscectomy Recovery
• Walking and Activity After Spine Surgery
• All Spine Surgery recovery guides