The trainer’s 5-move bed routine restores the strength you need to get off the floor
Most people think that getting off the floor is about strength. Leg strength, core strength, maybe flexibility. But after working with clients for over 20 years, I can tell you that the problem usually doesn’t start there.
The real problem is that we have lost the movement patterns we learned in childhood, and at the same time, we have lost how the body organizes tension throughout the system. Movement is not just muscles. It’s the fascia, joint capsules, ligaments, and nervous system that coordinate everything around a stable axis of rotation. All this is achieved in early development.
For adults over 65, falls are one of the leading causes of injury and loss of independence. According to Centers for Disease Control and Preventionabout 1 in 4 adults over 65 falls each year. And when one falls, the consequences can be serious. Hip fractures are one of the most common outcomes, and studies show that about 20 to 30 percent of older adults die within a year of a hip fracture. But one of the biggest predictors of recovery isn’t just fall itself. This is whether they can get off the floor after the floor or not.
So instead of trying to get stronger, I take my clients back through the developmental sequence. We restore the way the body organizes tension, power transmission and stability around each joint. This is five exercises rebuild that foundation and you can do almost all of them straight from your bed.
Extension of the spine
It is one of the first things we learn as children to organize our bodies. The cervical spine develops first and then spreads through the spine. If this system isn’t working well, you’ll often see compression in the shoulders and even the rib cage. This exercise restores that pattern from the ground up to the exact same one that the nervous system developed.
Muscles trained: Cervical Extensors, Chest Extensors, Lumbar Extensors, Deep Spinal Stabilizers
How to do it:
- Lie face down on the bed (or on the floor) with your head down.
- First lift your head and eyes. This is where the sequence begins.
- Take your hands under you and slowly stretch yourself up from the spine.
- Lower yourself down because his head is the last thing to go down.
- Segments and move in order. The head comes up first and comes down last. This is how the nervous system is formed in childhood and the order is important.
Recommended Sets and Reps: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 controlled repetitions
Form tip: Move slowly. The goal is segmental control, not speed. The head goes up and it’s the last thing that comes back.
CHRISTMAS: If you can maintain these 3 postures after age 60, your balance is top notch.
To roll
Rolling is where the body first learns to transfer power over itself. The chest rotates, the pelvis follows, and the fascial system, specifically those body slings, connect the shoulder to the opposite hip. I see a lot to break in customers here. They’ve lost the ability to rotate in the rib cage, so the pelvis becomes overworked or locked, and the spine and legs begin to take stresses they shouldn’t.
Muscles trained: Obliques, deep core stabilizers, shoulder stabilizers, hip flexors, chest rotators
How to do it:
- Lie on your back and relax both arms naturally.
- Take your upper arm (for example, your left arm) and reach it up and across your body.
- Let your other arm get out of the way.
- Reach out until your ribcage rolls, then let your hips follow.
- To return, take the same hand and reach up and back until you return to your starting position.
- Really reach. Pull your shoulders off the ground. As you control through the movement, your head comes into an extension.
- Move smoothly. Don’t throw or throw away. You’re rebuilding your neuromuscular system, not just getting from point A to point B.
Recommended Sets and Reps: 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 total repetitions (8 to 10 per side)
Form tip: Access is what drives the roll. If you don’t pull the shoulder blades off the ground, you won’t get enough rotation in the rib cage.
Next to Hip Bridge
Now we load the system. The shoulder should be in the center of the joint, the ribcage should meet over it, and the spine should share the spread at a point instead of a ring. If this phase is weak, you will often see shoulder instability, neck tension, and even poor breathing mechanics because the rib cage is not formed. This exercise combines the rolling pattern you’ve already practiced with side support.
Muscles trained: Shoulder stabilizers, lats, lateral hip stabilizers, intercostals, serratus anterior
How to do it:
- Start on your back (or stomach, whichever is more comfortable).
- Use the rolling pattern from the second exercise to roll onto your forearm.
- Once you’re on your hands, push yourself off the bed (or floor) into a supported position.
- Return to your arm.
- Return to your starting position. This is a perfect representative.
- The sequence is important: roll up, push up, back down, back up.
Recommended Sets and Reps: 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions per side
Form tip: Do not position the roll. Starting on your back and rolling onto your arms is part of the exercise, not just the setup. It connects this move with everything you’ve already done.
Robbery
This is the beginning of learning how to crawl. You stabilize the weight transfer, the coordination between the limbs and the spine segmentally, while everything is moving. This stage heavily involves the lumbar plexus and sacral nerves, and it is important for the functioning of the joints and SI. If one loses this pattern, they often lack the ability to effectively transmit force from the ground.
Muscles trained: Hip flexors, hip extensors, quadriceps, shoulder stabilizers, core stabilizers, spine extensors
How to do it:
- Start lying face down on your bed or floor.
- Lift your legs up and down to one side.
- Push yourself up and bring the other leg under you so that you are in a crawling position.
- After laying down, return to your side and shift your weight forward into your hands.
- Do about 4 to 5 swings (back and forth), then work your way down to lie on your stomach. This is a repeat.
- Repeat starting with the opposite leg.
Recommended Sets and Reps: 1 to 3 sets, 4 to 5 repetitions per repetition, gradually increasing
Form tip: Reset between transitions as needed. The goal is to shift the weight between the arms and hands rather than rushing through the reps.
Half kneeling
It is the bridge between earth and real life. The pelvis must form, the hip must be centered, and the entire system must coordinate to nurture you. At this point, everything we’ve developed before, the facial connections, the joint positioning, the neurological control, all have to come together. Note: This exercise is done next to the bed, not on it. Use a bed for support if necessary.
Muscles trained: Glutes, quadriceps, hip stabilizers, deep core, full body coordination
How to do it:
- Start on your back (or stomach) next to your bed.
- Use a rolling pattern to reach your hips, then push up into your arms, as in exercise three.
- Bring one arm under you, then the other, so that you are in a crawling position from the fourth exercise.
- Shift your weight back to your side.
- Raise your body weight to double knees.
- Place one leg in a half-knee position. If you need support, put your hand on the bed.
- When you’re ready, click on full mode.
- Go back the same way you came up: half kneeling, high knee, low knee, crawl, all the way back.
- Start on the opposite side and repeat.
Recommended Sets and Reps: 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 total repetitions (5 per side)
Form tip: The whole sequence is important. Do not go straight from the floor to your knees. Go through each position: rolling, side support, crawling, kneeling, standing. This is the purpose of the whole program.
