Today’s live clears up three big themes that keep people stuck:Centralisation is good news—leg pain retreating to the low back usually means you’re reversing the sciatica process. Don’t “elephant-walk” your spine into more flexion to chase flexibility while it’s healing.Relief that helps vs hurts—use massage gun, hamstring work (with a neutral spine), towel/bed decompression, and contrast bathing to manage end-of-day stiffness while you build strength. Skip the knee-hugs/rounded-back routines that tug on healing tissue.Exercise is the safest part of your day—with strategy + tutorials, squats/hinges are safer than the uncontrolled loads of daily life. If someone says “no squats,” ask how you’re meant to stand up from a chair.We also cover hydrotherapy logistics (why the trip can provoke more than it helps early on), how to sit through a theatre show (recline/towel + fidget), home-gym buys (adjustable dumbbells/vests), nerve symptoms timelines, walking as a relief “micro-pump,” and more.Start here → https://backinshapeprogram.com/start/

Highlights:🔹 Centralisation: leg → back = typical improvement trend; keep building capacity.🔹 Relief that helps: towel/bed decompression, massage gun, contrast bathing; avoid high-flexion “feel-good” stretches.🔹 Squats/hinges done well beat “don’t load your spine” myths—exercise is coached, life isn’t.🔹 Hydrotherapy: useful later; early on, the travel/setup often provokes more than the pool relieves.🔹 Practical setups: theatre seating (small towel + recline + fidget) and smart home-gym investments (adjustable DBs/vest).#backinshape #sciatica #herniateddiscsChapters:00:00:00 Centralisation explained (leg → back) & evening stiffness plan00:03:40 Relief that helps vs harms (massage gun, towel/bed, hamstrings neutral)00:07:30 Hydrotherapy: when it helps, when the trip makes it worse (start at home)00:10:20 Sitting through a theatre show (towel support + recline + fidget)00:12:40 Home-gym kit: adjustable dumbbells / weighted vests / rack options00:16:10 “Exercise is dangerous?” — why rehab is the safest hour of your day00:20:00 “No squats” myth—how else do you stand up? Reframing load & chair-stands00:24:10 Upper-back tension isn’t from your lumbar disc; deconditioning & why strength matters00:28:00 Very few adults strength-train long-term—why that’s your edge in recovery00:31:00 Flare-ups: use sensitivity to fix technique; walking as “micro-pump” relief00:35:15 Sciatica ≠ the injury—the lumbar injury heals; nerves recover slowly00:38:30 Running “piriformis” pain vs lumbar aggravation; when to pause cardio00:42:20 Cycling & other adjuncts — where they fit, podcast pointer00:46:10 Band options for chest-press / chin-up (home variants shown)00:50:40 Mindset, nutrition (protein), and sticking with the plan00:55:20 Wrap-up & next steps; Thursday live note