Everyday Body Mechanics: Move Well and Protect Your Spine

Reviewed by Dr. Kshitij Chaudhary, Last reviewed October 2026

Your back is strong and built to move. What matters most is not your workout. It is the hundreds of small movements you make every day: getting out of bed, sitting down, picking up a bag. Do these well and your spine carries less strain. This is a sample program of simple habits. It does not replace an individual plan from your doctor or physiotherapist.

Before you start

• Check with your doctor or physiotherapist first if you have had spine surgery, have leg pain, numbness or weakness, or are unsure.
• After surgery, your rehab plan comes first. It sets limits on sitting, lifting and twisting for the early weeks.
• Move gently. Some tiredness in your tummy, buttock and back muscles is normal when you start. Sharp or worsening pain is not.
• Pick one or two habits a week. You do not need to change everything at once.

First, learn to set your spine

Every tip below starts here. It puts your spine in a strong, neutral position, with its natural gentle curves, neither slumped nor over-arched.

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, pointing straight ahead.
2. Squeeze your buttocks firmly, then let go to a gentle hold. This levels your pelvis.
3. Draw your lower ribs down over your pelvis, so your lower back is not over-arched.
4. Gently tighten your lower tummy, at about 20% effort. Keep breathing normally.
5. Slide your head straight back, so your ears sit over your shoulders.

Do this before you sit, stand for long, lift or walk, and whenever you notice slumping.

To learn the gentle tummy tightening properly, start with Core Exercises for Your Lower Back.

Sitting

Sitting is not harmful in itself. Sitting still and slouched for hours is the problem.

1. Sit on your sit bones, the two hard points at the base of your pelvis, not on your tailbone. Sit evenly on both hips.
2. Rest your feet flat on the floor, with hips and knees at about a right angle. Use a footrest if your feet do not reach.
3. Place a small cushion or rolled towel in the small of your back, to keep a gentle inward curve.
4. Put the screen straight ahead, with the top third at eye level. Keep your keyboard close, so your elbows stay at a right angle and your upper arms hang by your sides.
5. Choose a firm seat when you can. Deep, soft sofas let you sink onto your tailbone.
6. Every 30 minutes, stand up and move for about 2 minutes. Set a phone reminder.

If your doctor or rehab plan gives you a shorter sitting limit, follow that. For a full desk set-up, see Desk Ergonomics and Lower Back Protection and these office stretches.

Getting in and out of a chair

Treat it like a gentle squat with a flat back. This stops you rounding your lower back every time you sit.

Sitting down

1. Stand with your back to the chair, the backs of your legs lightly touching the seat. Keep your feet hip-width apart.
2. Set your spine.
3. Push your hips back, as if closing a door with your bottom. Bend at the hips and knees, and keep your back straight.
4. Keep your knees in line with your toes.
5. Lower yourself slowly onto the seat.

Standing up

1. Slide forward to the front of the seat, with your feet flat.
2. Gently tighten your lower tummy.
3. Lean your chest forward from your hips, with your back flat.
4. Push through your heels and squeeze your buttocks as you stand tall.

If you feel unsteady, hold the armrests or a sturdy surface.

Every time you sit down or stand up.

Standing

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your weight even on both feet.
2. Keep your knees slightly soft, not locked.
3. Set your spine. Do not puff out your chest or arch your lower back to "stand straight".
4. Change your stance every few minutes. Shift your weight, or rest one foot on a low stool or step, then swap feet. Raising one foot eases the arch in your lower back.
5. Walk around when you can. Long, still standing tires your back too.

Walking

Walking is good for your back. The rhythm of each step helps your discs take in fluid and nutrients.

1. Set your spine and look straight ahead.
2. Point your feet straight forward, like train tracks. Do not turn them outwards.
3. Land softly. Do not reach far out in front and slam your heel down.
4. Lean slightly forward from your ankles to start each step, and push off behind you with your buttocks.
5. Let your arms swing freely, with your shoulders relaxed.

Walk most days. After surgery, follow the walking plan in your rehab protocol.

Lifting and bending

Bend from your hips, not your waist. Use the same hinge for a heavy bag or a pen on the floor.

1. Stand close to the object, with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Set your spine.
3. Push your hips back and bend your knees, keeping your back flat. Your knees should track in line with your toes.
4. Hold the object close to your body.
5. Breathe out as you lift. Do not hold your breath.
6. Push through your heels, drive your hips forward and stand tall.
7. To turn, move your feet. Never twist your back while holding something.

For light objects on the floor (a pen, a small tool): use the golfer's lift. Rest one hand on a counter if you need to. Hinge forward at one hip and let the other leg swing straight out behind you, in line with your body. Keep your back flat, pick up the object, then swing back up.

After surgery, follow your rehab plan's lifting limit.

Every time you bend, lift or pick something up.

Driving

1. Move your seat close enough that your knees stay slightly bent when you press the pedals.
2. Set the backrest nearly upright. Do not recline far, because it pulls your head forward and rounds your shoulders.
3. Place a small cushion or rolled towel in the small of your back.
4. Rest your head lightly against the head restraint, with your chin slightly tucked.
5. Hold the wheel at about 9 and 3 o'clock, with your shoulders relaxed.
6. On long drives, stop to stand and walk when you can. In your seat, squeeze your buttocks for 5 seconds, circle your ankles and gently tighten your tummy.
7. After the journey, walk for 5 to 10 minutes before you sit again.

Sleeping

Aim for a neutral spine with no twisting.

• On your side: put a firm pillow between your knees and ankles. This stops your top leg dropping forward and twisting your lower back. Use a head pillow that keeps your neck level with your spine.
• On your back: put a pillow under your knees to relax your hips and ease the pull on your lower back. Use a thin pillow under your head and neck.
• Avoid curling tightly into a ball, with your knees pulled to your chest.
• Avoid sleeping on your tummy. It keeps your neck turned for hours and arches your lower back. If you wake on your tummy, roll onto your side.

Getting in and out of bed

Your back is stiffest first thing in the morning. Sitting straight up from lying flat bends and twists it. Use the log roll instead.

Getting out of bed

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Gently tighten your tummy.
2. Roll onto your side as one piece, moving your shoulders, hips and knees together like a log. Do not twist between your shoulders and hips.
3. Slide your legs over the edge of the bed.
4. Push your upper body up sideways with your arms, keeping your back straight until you are sitting on the edge.
5. Pause for a moment, then stand up using the chair method above.

Getting into bed

1. Sit on the edge of the bed, well back, and gently tighten your tummy.
2. Lower your upper body sideways onto your elbow, then onto your side, lifting your legs onto the bed at the same time.
3. Roll as one piece onto your back and bend your knees, or stay on your side.

Every time you get in or out of bed.

What should you avoid?

• Sitting still for more than 30 minutes.
• Slumping onto your tailbone.
• Bending from the waist with a rounded back.
• Reaching far forward when you lift.
• Twisting your back while holding something or while seated.
• Holding your breath when you lift.
• Arching your lower back to "stand tall".
• Sitting straight up from lying flat to get out of bed.
• Sleeping on your tummy.
• Pushing through sharp pain.

How soon will you see benefits?

Many people notice less stiffness and tiredness within a few weeks. These habits protect your back, but no habit can promise a life without back pain. See The Back Pain Guide for the bigger picture.

Do I have to think about this all day?

No. Start with a few habits and they soon become automatic. Use everyday triggers for a quick posture check: a red traffic light, a doorway, sitting down for a meal or answering the phone.

Is a daily workout enough?

A workout is good for you, but it does not cancel out hours of slouching or poor lifting. Small habits through the day matter as much.

Can I do these after a slipped disc or surgery?

Most people can, but ask your surgeon or physiotherapist when to start. After any spine surgery, your surgeon's instructions come first. For back surgery, see the rehab plans after lumbar discectomy, lumbar decompression or lumbar fusion. If you have leg pain from a slipped disc, see the Exercise Program for Sciatica and lumbar disc herniation and sciatica.

When should you see a doctor?

See your doctor if:

• back or leg pain keeps getting worse
• you have new numbness, tingling or weakness in a leg
• pain does not change with position or rest, or wakes you at night
• there is no improvement after 4 to 6 weeks of regular practice

Go to the emergency department straight away if you have trouble controlling your bladder or bowels, or numbness around your private parts.

This page is for general information and does not replace a medical consultation. Please see a doctor for advice about your own symptoms.