Exercises
How Exercises Are Used in Physiotherapy Treatment
Exercise plays a central role in physiotherapy, but not all exercises are created equal. In a rehabilitation setting, exercises are used to restore movement, reduce pain, rebuild strength, and help the body tolerate load safely over time. When chosen and progressed correctly, they support long-term recovery and reduce the risk of recurring injury. When performed without proper guidance, even simple movements can delay healing or worsen symptoms.
We bring together physiotherapy-related exercises used in injury rehabilitation, pain management, and movement recovery. Each exercise listed on this site has its own dedicated page explaining its purpose, benefits, correct technique, and clinical considerations.
Strengthening Exercises
Squats
Squats are a foundational lower-body exercise that strengthen the hips, knees, and thighs while improving balance and control. Performed by bending at the hips and knees with a neutral spine, squats support functional movement, joint stability, and everyday strength.
Lunges
Lunges are a lower-body exercise where you step forward or backward and lower the body with control. They improve leg strength, balance, and hip stability while helping restore functional movement for daily tasks and sport.
Deadlift
Deadlifts are a controlled lifting movement where the hips hinge while keeping the spine neutral. They strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, and back muscles, improve lifting mechanics, and help protect the spine during daily bending and load-bearing tasks.
Bridging
Bridging involves lifting the hips from the floor while lying on your back with knees bent. It activates the glutes and core, supports lower back stability, and helps improve hip control during walking, standing, and functional movement.
Wall sits
Wall sits are performed by sliding down a wall into a seated position with knees bent. They build quadriceps strength, improve knee tolerance, and enhance lower-limb endurance without placing excessive load on the joints.
Leg press
The leg press uses controlled pushing through the feet against resistance. It strengthens the hips and thighs, supports knee rehabilitation, and allows safe lower-body loading when squatting or lunging is not yet appropriate
Plank
Planks involve holding the body in a straight line while supported on the forearms or hands. They train core stability, improve spinal control, and support safe movement during lifting, running, and everyday activities.
Bird dog
The bird dog is performed on hands and knees while extending opposite arm and leg. It improves spinal stability, core control, and coordination, helping reduce back strain and improve movement awareness.
Chest press
The chest press involves pushing weight away from the body while lying or seated. It strengthens the chest, shoulders, and arms, supports upper-body function, and helps restore pushing strength after injury or surgery.
Dead bugs
The dead bug exercise is a controlled bodyweight exercise commonly used in physiotherapy to improve core muscle control, spinal stability, and coordinated movement. It is frequently prescribed during rehabilitation programs because it trains the core without placing excessive load on the spine.
Cobra stretch
The Cobra Stretch exercise is a commonly used movement in physiotherapy programs designed to improve spinal extension, posture, and lower back mobility. If you spend long hours sitting at a desk, training at the gym, or dealing with ongoing back stiffness, this stretch can help restore natural movement in the spine.
Flexibility and Mobility Exercises
Hamstring stretch
A controlled stretch targeting the muscles at the back of the thigh. Performed by gently lengthening the leg while keeping the spine neutral. Helps improve leg flexibility, reduce stiffness, and support better hip and lower-back movement.
Quad stretch
A stretch focused on the quadriceps and hip flexor muscles at the front of the thigh. Usually performed by bending the knee and keeping the pelvis steady. Helps improve thigh flexibility, ease knee strain, and support balanced lower-body movement.
Hip flexor stretch
A stretch targeting the hip flexor muscles at the front of the hip, commonly performed in a kneeling or standing position with the pelvis controlled. Helps improve hip extension, supports efficient walking and running mechanics, and reduces anterior hip tightness that can contribute to postural imbalance.
Calf stretch
A stretch for the muscles of the lower leg, commonly performed with the heel grounded and knee straight or bent. Improves ankle flexibility, supports walking and running mechanics, and helps reduce lower-leg tightness and strain.
Cat cow stretch
A gentle mobility exercise for the spine, commonly performed on hands and knees by alternating between spinal flexion and extension. Promotes spinal flexibility and helps reduce stiffness while supporting controlled movement and postural awareness.
Child pose
A stretch for the muscles of the lower leg, commonly performed with the heel grounded and knee straight or bent. Improves ankle flexibility, supports walking and running mechanics, and helps reduce lower-leg tightness and strain.
Seated forward bend
A seated stretch performed by hinging forward from the hips with the legs extended. Targets the hamstrings and lower back, improves posterior chain flexibility, and helps reduce stiffness that can affect posture and daily movement.
Chest opener
A stretch designed to open the chest and shoulders, commonly performed standing or seated with the arms drawn back. Improves upper-body posture, increases shoulder mobility, and helps reduce tightness associated with prolonged sitting and rounded shoulders.
Superman exercises
The Superman exercise is a prone back extension movement used in rehabilitation to train spinal control, posture, and posterior chain coordination. It is sometimes referred to as the superman pose, superman hold, or superman back exercise, depending on whether it is performed dynamically or as an isometric hold.
Cat cow stretch
The Cat-Cow Stretch is a simple yet highly effective yoga exercise that improves flexibility, reduces stress, and supports overall spinal health. Whether you’re an office worker spending long hours sitting at a desk or an athlete looking to enhance your flexibility, this stretch is a great addition to your daily routine.
Bracing techniques
If your lower back keeps “tweaking” when you lift, train, or even get out of the car, the issue is often not weakness — it is poor core stability and movement control.
Stability and Balance Exercises
Single leg balance
A balance and stability exercise performed standing on one leg. Improves ankle, knee, and hip control, enhances proprioception, and supports lower-limb stability during walking, running, and everyday activities.
Standing heel raises
A strengthening exercise performed by lifting the heels while standing. Targets the calf muscles, improves ankle strength and control, and supports walking, running, and balance during daily and sporting activities.
Bosu ball
A group of balance and strengthening exercises performed using a BOSU ball. Challenges stability, improves core and lower-limb control, and enhances coordination and proprioception during functional and sport-related movement.
Side leg raises
A seated stretch performed by hinging forward from the hips with the legs extended. Targets the hamstrings and lower back, improves posterior chain flexibility, and helps reduce stiffness that can affect posture and daily movement.
Wobble board
A balance-focused exercise performed on an unstable wobble board surface. Improves ankle stability, joint awareness, and neuromuscular control, helping reduce injury risk and support safe movement during daily and sporting activities.
Rowing machine
Rowing machine exercise is one of the most effective ways to build strength and improve fitness without overloading your joints. In Sydney, where people combine gym training, running, and high-intensity workouts, rowing offers a smart way to stay active while protecting your body.
Rehabilitation and Injury-Specific
Rotator cuff
A group of targeted strengthening exercises for the muscles that stabilise the shoulder joint. Improve shoulder control, enhance joint stability, and help reduce the risk of strain or injury during overhead and upper-limb movements.
Knee extension
A strengthening exercise focused on straightening the knee against resistance or gravity. Targets the quadriceps, improves knee control and stability, and supports walking, stair use, and recovery after knee injury or surgery.
Ankle pumps
A gentle mobility exercise involving repeated ankle movement through flexion and extension. Promotes circulation, improves ankle range of motion, and helps reduce stiffness during recovery, prolonged sitting, or early rehabilitation.
Hip abductor
A strengthening exercise targeting the muscles on the outer hip. Improves pelvic stability, supports proper lower-limb alignment, and helps reduce strain on the knees and lower back during walking, running, and functional movement.
Clamshell
A hip strengthening exercise performed lying on the side with the knees bent and opening the top knee. Targets the hip abductors and external rotators, improves pelvic control, and supports knee and hip stability during functional movement.
Pelvic tilts
Pelvic tilts are one of the most commonly prescribed exercises in physiotherapy. They look simple. But when done correctly, they play a major role in pelvic alignment, core control, and low back pain management.
It band stretch
A stretch targeting the muscles and connective tissue along the outer thigh. Helps improve lateral hip and thigh flexibility, reduces tension around the knee and hip, and supports smoother movement during walking, running, and lower-limb activity.
Patella mobilizations
A manual mobility technique focusing on gentle movement of the kneecap. Helps improve patellar mobility, reduce stiffness around the knee joint, and support smoother knee movement during walking, bending, and rehabilitation activities.
Child pose
Child’s Pose, also known as child pose, child’s pose, or baby pose yoga, is one of the most commonly used resting positions in yoga and rehabilitation-based exercise. It is a gentle, supported posture that allows the body to relax while providing a light stretch to multiple muscle groups.