Spondylolisthesis Exercises

By AGE2B team

May 8, 2021

Spondylolisthesis exercises may help to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles. When your back muscles are tense, symptoms of spondylolisthesis can intensify. Stretching spondylolisthesis exercises like this one can help increase your flexibility and reduce the severity of your symptoms.

Double knee-to-chest stretch

Lie down on the floor or on your bed on your back
Bend both legs at the knees, placing both feet flat on the floor or on your bed; this is the starting position
Tense your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your knees up toward your chest
Grasp your knees with your arms
Hold this position of slight tension in the spondylolisthesis exercise for a count of five
Slowly lower your knees, returning to the starting position
Repeat the spondylolisthesis exercise 15 to 20 times

Abdominal Curl

Abdominal curls help to promote strong muscles in your abdominal core. This is a key component of spondylolisthesis exercise and may help to prevent further displacement of the vertebrae.

Starting position is lying on the floor on a mat on your back, with both of your legs bent at the knees. Your feet are firmly flat on the floor, hands behind your head.

Tense your abdominal muscles
Holding your abdominal muscles tense, raise your head slowly from the floor, tipping your chin up toward your abdomen. Your hands are only for support; don’t use them to assist you to raise your head
Slowly continue to curl up, with your abdomen tensed, your until your shoulders are slightly off the floor. Do not allow your arms or hands to help raise your shoulders
Hold this position of tension for a count of two to three in this spondylolisthesis exercise
Slowly lower yourself to the starting position and relax briefly
Repeat the exercise three times, then relax for one minute
Complete three sets of this spondylolisthesis exercise

Trunk Rotation

Trunk rotations are a beneficial spondylolisthesis exercise because they strengthen the abdominal and lower back muscles.

Starting position is lying on the floor on a mat on your back, with both of your legs bent at the knees. Your feet are firmly flat on the floor. Your arms are alongside your body.

Tense your abdominal muscles
Holding your abdominal muscles tense, slowly rotate from the waist, turning your knees to the left side as far as you can. Your feet remain on the floor.
Continuing to hold your abdominal muscles tense, bring your knees back to the center, then slowly rotate from the waist, turning from the waist to your right side, keeping your feet on the floor through the spondylolisthesis exercise. Let your arms help you keep your balance
Keep your movements controlled
Repeat moving from the left to the right ten times, then rest
Do three sets of this spondylolisthesis exercise

Hamstring Stretch

The hamstring stretch helps prevent excess tilting of the pelvis and curvature of the lower part of the spine forward. Your hamstrings are the large muscles on the back of your upper thighs. This spondylolisthesis exercise will help improve your flexibility.

Starting position is sitting on the floor with both legs extended out in front of you.

Bend your right leg at the knee and bring your foot into touch the inside of your left thigh
Straighten your arms out in front of your body
Slowly bend toward your left leg, as far as you can
Hold this position of tension in this spondylolisthesis exercise for a count of five
Slowly sit back and relax briefly
Repeat 5 times
Change the position of your legs and repeat on the other side
Complete 3 sets of this spondylolisthesis exercise

Pelvic Tilt

This spondylolisthesis exercise will strengthen the muscles of your lower back, pelvis, and abdomen.

Starting position is lying on the floor on your back. Bend both of your legs at the knees; both of your feet are flat on the floor.

Tense your abdominal muscles
Reposition your pelvis so it is tilted slightly upward
Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, push your lower back into the floor as you continue to tilt your pelvis
Hold this position of tension for this spondylolisthesis exercise for a count of five
Relax and then repeat 10 times
Do three sets of this spondylolisthesis exercise