Exercises after microdiscectomy or lumbar decompression: a guide

Published October 10, 2026 · Updated October 31, 2026 · Protocol Archive Editorial

Protocol Archive → Exercises before and after surgery → Back surgery (discectomy / decompression)

Exercises after microdiscectomy or lumbar decompression: a guide

Get emergency care now (call 911 or go to an emergency room) if you have:

  • new loss of bladder or bowel control, or difficulty passing urine
  • numbness in the groin, buttocks or inner thighs (saddle area)
  • weakness in both legs, or leg weakness that is getting worse quickly

Talk to your doctor first. General education, not medical advice.This content is general education, not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Get approval from your physician or another qualified healthcare provider before starting any exercise program, especially if you have a medical condition, a recent injury or surgery, are pregnant, or take medication. Stop and seek medical advice if an exercise causes pain, dizziness, chest discomfort or shortness of breath. You choose to exercise at your own risk. Read the full medical disclaimer.

Last checked: October 2026 · Protocol Archive Editorial · General information, not medical advice

This page summarizes typical home exercise programs published by NHS hospitals and other health services for people who have had a microdiscectomy, discectomy, laminectomy or lumbar decompression. It walks through the stages most leaflets use, from the ward to about 12 weeks.

It is a general guide, not your plan. Hospitals differ in which exercises they start and when, so follow the sheet your own surgical team or physical therapist gives you. If you had a spinal fusion, your program is usually more restricted and this page does not apply.

Follow your own team’s sheet first. Your surgeon and physical therapist know exactly what was done in your operation, so their sheet comes first wherever it differs from this summary.
On this page
  1. Stage 1: On the ward and the first days
  2. Stage 2: Early weeks at home
  3. Stage 3: Building up
  4. Stage 4: Back to fuller activity
  5. Videos
  6. Typical milestones
  7. When to get help
Day of surgery to going home (often the same day to a few days)

Stage 1: On the ward and the first days

Get up and walking early, keep your circulation and breathing going, and learn safe ways to get in and out of bed.

  1. Ankle pumps and circles

    Lying on your back, pull your feet up toward you, then point them away. Then circle each ankle slowly. This keeps blood moving in your legs while you are less active.

    Typical dose: 10 up-and-down and 10 circles every hour (Royal Devon NHS); hospitals vary: 5–10 a few times a day to 30 an hour.3,5,11

  2. Buttock squeezes

    Lying down, squeeze your buttock muscles together. Hold, then let them fully relax.

    Typical dose: Hold up to 5 seconds, 5–10 times, 3–4 times a day (James Paget NHS).3,5,11

  3. Thigh tightening (static quads)

    Lie with your legs straight. Tighten the front of the thigh by pressing the back of your knee into the bed and pulling your toes up. Hold, then relax.

    Typical dose: Hold up to 5 seconds, 5–10 times, 3–4 times a day (James Paget NHS); hospitals vary: some suggest 10 per leg every hour.3,11

  4. Heel slides

    Lying on your back, slowly slide one heel toward your bottom, then slide it back down. Swap legs. Move only as far as is comfortable.

    Typical dose: 10 per leg (Interior Health); hospitals vary: every hour to 3 times a day.5,11

  5. Deep breathing and cough

    Take slow, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then give a firm huff or cough. This helps clear your lungs after the anesthetic.

    Typical dose: 3 deep breaths, a huff and a cough every 30 minutes (Royal Devon NHS).5,11

  6. Log roll in and out of bed

    Bend your knees and roll onto your side, moving your shoulders and hips together. Lower your legs over the edge of the bed and push up with your arms. Avoid sitting straight up from lying flat.

    Typical dose: Every time you get in or out of bed, for the first 2 weeks (Royal Devon NHS).2,5

  • Fusion is different: if you had a spinal fusion, do not follow this page. Fusion programs are usually more restricted. For example, Royal Devon advises no specific spinal exercises for the first 6 weeks after fusion, no twisting and lifting no more than 5 kg, and Lancashire lists heavy lifting, bending and twisting at 12 weeks after fusion. Follow your fusion team’s sheet. (Royal Devon NHS; Lancashire Teaching Hospitals)
  • Expect to walk with staff as soon as possible, often on the first day. (Royal Devon NHS; NHS.uk)
  • Physical therapy may be arranged on the ward to help you get moving. (NHS.uk)
Going home to about 2 weeks

Stage 2: Early weeks at home

Take frequent short walks, start gentle core and lower-back mobility exercises, and build up your sitting time slowly.

  1. Deep core setting

    Lie on your back with your knees bent. Gently draw in your lower tummy and pelvic floor without moving your back. Keep breathing and keep your upper tummy relaxed.

    Typical dose: Hold up to 10 seconds, 10 times, 3–4 times a day; 2–3 good holds is fine at first (Royal Berkshire NHS).1,2,6

  2. Knee rolling

    Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Let both knees roll gently to one side, then the other. Go only as far as is comfortable.

    Typical dose: 10 each side, 3–4 times a day (Royal Berkshire NHS, 2025).1,2,6

  3. Pelvic tilts

    Lie on your back with knees bent. Gently flatten your lower back into the bed by tilting your pelvis, then relax back to the middle.

    Typical dose: 15 times, 3–4 times a day (Royal Berkshire NHS).1,2,6

  4. Lying on your front, then press-ups

    Only if your physical therapist prescribes it. Start by lying on your front for a few minutes. If that is comfortable, prop up on your elbows. Later, push up with your arms while your hips stay on the bed, going only as far as is comfortable.

    Typical dose: Lie on your front 3–5 minutes, then elbow or press-up holds of 5–10 seconds, 10 times, 3–4 times a day (Royal Berkshire NHS). Not every hospital includes this.1,2

  5. Sciatic nerve glide

    Only if your physical therapist prescribes it. It is usually only for people who had pain down the back of the leg. Lying on your back, hold the thigh toward your chest, then gently straighten the knee until you feel a mild pull, and bend it again. Stop and tell your physical therapist if your leg symptoms increase.

    Typical dose: 10 times, 3–4 times a day, from about day 2–3 (Royal Berkshire NHS).1,2,3

  6. Femoral nerve glide

    Only if your physical therapist prescribes it. It is usually only for people who had pain down the front of the thigh. Lie on your front, gently tighten your tummy and buttocks, then bend the knee until you feel a stretch at the front of the thigh, and lower again.

    Typical dose: 10 times, 3–4 times a day, from about day 2–3 (Royal Berkshire NHS).1,2

  7. Short, frequent walks

    Walk on flat ground, standing tall, several times a day rather than one long walk. Add a little each day as comfort allows.

    Typical dose: Little and often, a little more each day; no hospital sets minutes or distances (Royal Berkshire NHS; James Paget NHS; Healthwise).1,2,3,11

  • Sit for short spells only at first. Hospitals vary: after a discectomy, no more than 15 minutes at a time, up to 4 times a day (NHS Lothian), to 20–30 minutes then move (Interior Health).
  • When sitting, keep your knees lower than your hips and use a rolled towel at your waist; lie down to rest when sore. (Royal Berkshire NHS)
  • Avoid lots of forward bending, full twisting and full side-bending for the first 2 weeks. (Royal Devon NHS)
About 2 to 6 weeks

Stage 3: Building up

Walk further, keep up your core and mobility work, start outpatient physical therapy, and return to light activities while still avoiding lifting and long periods of bending.

  1. Progressive walking

    Keep walking every day and slowly add time or distance, then pace. Stop increasing if pain or leg symptoms flare.

    Typical dose: Daily, adding a little at a time; brisk walking from about 4–6 weeks (Royal Berkshire NHS). No source sets minutes.1,2,6,10

  2. Keep up your stage 2 exercises

    Continue core setting, knee rolling, pelvic tilts and any nerve glides your physical therapist prescribed. Stay in a pain-free range and let your physical therapist progress them.

    Typical dose: 3–4 times a day (Royal Berkshire NHS).1,2,6

  3. Gentle lower-back stretch

    A gentle lower-back stretch from your hospital’s exercise sheet, added only when your team agrees. Your physical therapist will show you which stretch and how far to go.

    Typical dose: From about 4 weeks after surgery; follow your physical therapist for reps (NHS Lothian).6

  4. Swimming and exercise bike

    Once the wound has fully healed, add short, easy swims (front crawl or backstroke) or an exercise bike. Avoid diving, jumping in and butterfly.

    Typical dose: Swimming from about 4 weeks, little and often; exercise bike from 4–6 weeks (Royal Berkshire NHS).1,2,5,6

  • Avoid lifting and long periods of bending for about 6 weeks. Interior Health suggests nothing over 10 lb (4.5 kg). (Royal Berkshire NHS; Royal Devon NHS; Interior Health)
  • Outpatient physical therapy often starts somewhere between 2 and 12 weeks, depending on the hospital: 2–6 weeks (Royal Berkshire NHS), about 4 weeks (NHS Lothian), 6–12 weeks (Lancashire Teaching Hospitals).
  • There is no proven best time to start structured exercise, and home exercise done regularly can work as well as supervised sessions. (NHS Lothian)
About 6 to 12 weeks

Stage 4: Back to fuller activity

See your surgeon for review, build strength with your physical therapist and return gradually to work, the gym and everyday tasks.

  1. Strength and stability program

    Your physical therapist will usually progress you to harder tummy, back, buttock and leg strengthening and teach safe lifting and bending. Exercises should not increase pain, numbness or pins and needles.

    Typical dose: As set by your physical therapist; the gym may resume from 6 weeks, building up gradually (NHS Lothian).6,10,12

  2. Daily walking

    Keep walking every day as your main endurance exercise, building toward your normal level.

    Typical dose: Every day, gradually increasing speed and distance (Lancashire Teaching Hospitals).10,12

  • A surgeon review is usually around 6–8 weeks (Royal Berkshire NHS) or about 2 months (Royal Devon NHS).
  • Returning to usual activities can take up to 8 weeks (Healthwise) or up to 12 weeks (NHS.uk).

Watch the exercises

These videos are published by the organisations named. They show one hospital’s version, so small differences from your own sheet are normal.

Play video
Exercises Following Your Spinal Operation: NHS Physiotherapy from Ipswich Hospital (ESNEFT (East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust)). An NHS hospital physical therapist demonstrates exercises after spinal surgery. Check it against your own sheet, as your team may use different exercises.

Typical milestones

These are what published programs usually say. Your own timeline may be different.

MilestoneWhat sources say
DrivingMost leaflets say wait until you can do an emergency stop and sit comfortably, are off drowsy painkillers, and have told your insurer. Hospitals vary: no fixed minimum beyond 48 hours after the anesthetic (Royal Devon NHS), at least 2 weeks (Lancashire), 2–4 weeks (NHS Lothian), at least 4–6 weeks (Royal Berkshire NHS).1,2,5,6
Return to workAround 4–6 weeks depending on your job (NHS.uk); 2–6 weeks (Norfolk and Norwich NHS); light manual work 4 weeks, manual 6 weeks, heavy manual 8 weeks (Royal Devon NHS); desk work 6–8 weeks and heavy manual work at least 3 months (Royal Berkshire NHS); anywhere from 2 to 12 weeks depending on the job (NHS Lothian).1,2,4,5
Lifting and prolonged bendingAvoid for about 6 weeks (Royal Berkshire NHS, Royal Devon NHS, NHS Lothian, Interior Health).1,2,5,6
SwimmingOnce the wound has fully healed, around 4 weeks (Royal Berkshire NHS, Royal Devon NHS) or 4–6 weeks (NHS Lothian).1,2,5,6
Gym and runningGym from 6 weeks, building gradually (NHS Lothian). Running: from 6 weeks if comfortable (Royal Devon NHS) to avoid for 6 months (Royal Berkshire NHS).1,5,6
Contact sportAt least 12 weeks (Royal Devon NHS, NHS Lothian). Lancashire says avoid contact sports and twisting sports such as golf for at least 6 weeks; Royal Berkshire allows golf and light tennis from 3 months; Interior Health says no golf or tennis for at least 6 months.1,5,6,10
Usual activitiesUp to 8 weeks (Healthwise) or up to 12 weeks (NHS.uk).7,12

When to get help

  • Loss of bladder or bowel control, or difficulty passing urine. Get emergency help straight away (A&E in the UK, the emergency department elsewhere), as this can be a sign of cauda equina syndrome.3,4,7,12
  • Numbness or tingling in the groin, saddle area or between the legs, for example when wiping after the toilet. Seek urgent help.3
  • New or worsening numbness, pins and needles, weakness or pain in one or both legs or feet.3,4,7,12
  • Constant pain that keeps getting worse, or pain your painkillers do not control.4,12
  • Severe headache or dizziness, especially when sitting up from lying down (a possible spinal fluid leak).3
  • A wound that is hot, red, oozing or opening, dressings repeatedly soaked with blood, or a fever.4,7,12
  • Pain, swelling or redness in your calf, thigh or groin (possible blood clot). Chest pain or shortness of breath: call emergency services.12

For a medical emergency, call 999 (UK), 911 (US and Canada), 000 (Australia) or 112/999 (Ireland).

Why your sheet may look different

  • Starting point: some hospitals start core work, knee rolling and pelvic tilts straight away (Royal Berkshire NHS, NHS Lothian), while others begin with circulation and muscle-tightening exercises only (James Paget NHS, Royal Devon NHS, Interior Health).
  • Extension and nerve glides: press-ups and nerve glides appear in Royal Berkshire’s leaflets only, and only where relevant to your symptoms.
  • Timelines: driving ranges from when you feel safe (after at least 48 hours) to at least 4–6 weeks, and running from 6 weeks to 6 months, depending on the hospital.
  • Sitting: advice in the first 2 weeks ranges from 15-minute spells (NHS Lothian) to changing position about every 30 minutes (Healthwise).

More exercise videos on Protocol Archive

Use these only for the stage shown and once your physical therapist says you’re ready.

  • Pelvic tilts video: To check your technique once your physical therapist says you’re ready; it is one of the starter exercises in some hospital programs.
  • Walking for endurance: Stage 3–4, only once your physical therapist says you’re ready to build up your walking.
  • Prone press-up: Only if your physical therapist prescribes it and says you’re ready; not every hospital includes this.
  • Sciatica exercise routine: Only if your physical therapist says it suits you and you’re ready.
  • Core strengthening: Stage 4, only once your physical therapist says you’re ready to move beyond core setting.
  • Bridge for buttock strength: Stage 4, only once your physical therapist says you’re ready.

Next steps

Paying for it, or waiting? See who usually pays for spinal decompression and fusion: overview, NHS, UK insurance, Ireland, Canada, Australia.

Need a physical therapist? How to find a physical therapist in the UK or US, including NHS self-referral and checking registration.

Other recovery guides: Before hip or knee replacement, knee replacement, hip replacement, or see all.

Had a spinal fusion? Recovery is different from a discectomy. See exercises after spinal fusion.

Frequently asked questions

How soon can I walk after a microdiscectomy or lumbar decompression?

Usually the same or next day, with staff helping you. Hospital leaflets advise frequent short walks rather than a few long ones, adding a little each day as comfort allows. No hospital sets a fixed minutes-per-week schedule.

How long should I avoid bending and lifting after a discectomy or decompression?

Most NHS leaflets advise avoiding lifting and long periods of bending for about 6 weeks. Some suggest avoiding heavy lifting for longer; Royal Berkshire says 6 months. Follow your surgeon’s specific limits.

How long before I can drive after a microdiscectomy?

Hospitals vary, from no fixed minimum once you feel safe (Royal Devon) to at least 4–6 weeks (Royal Berkshire). Most leaflets say you need to sit comfortably, be able to do an emergency stop, be off drowsy painkillers and tell your insurer. Check with your own surgeon.

Is recovery after spinal fusion the same as after a discectomy?

No. Fusion programs are usually more restricted. Royal Devon, for example, recommends no specific spinal exercises for the first 6 weeks after fusion, and Lancashire lists heavy lifting, bending and twisting at 12 weeks after fusion rather than 6.

Sources

  1. Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust (Orthopaedic Physiotherapy): Information and exercises following microdiscectomy
  2. Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust (Orthopaedic Physiotherapy): Lumbar decompression or discectomy: post-op advice and exercises
  3. James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Lumbar Discectomy/Decompression Advice Booklet (PH 37 v1)
  4. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Day Procedure Unit): Lumbar spine micro-discectomy or decompression (Trust Docs ID 9025 v7)
  5. Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust: Microdiscectomy/Segmental Decompression Physiotherapy Advice (RDE 22 041 001)
  6. NHS Lothian (DCN Physiotherapy Department): Lothian Physiotherapy Best Practice Statement: Lumbar Decompression Guidelines (Discectomy, Laminectomy, Nerve Decompression, Foraminotomy) v2
  7. NHS (nhs.uk): Lumbar decompression surgery — Recovery
  8. Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust (Orthopaedic Physiotherapy): Lumbar spinal fusion
  9. Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust: Lumbar Fusion Post-operative Physiotherapy Advice (RDE 22 040 001)
  10. Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Recovering from Lumbar Spinal Surgery: Information for patients and carers (JR 1070 Part 2 v1)
  11. Interior Health (British Columbia, Canada): Movement and Exercises After Lumbar Surgery
  12. Healthwise (WebMD Ignite), via Kaiser Permanente Health Encyclopedia: Microdiscectomy in the Low Back: What to Expect at Home

Last checked October 2026. Found something out of date? Email hello@protocolarchive.com.

This page summarizes published hospital and professional-body exercise programs listed above. It is general information, not medical advice, and it does not replace the instructions of your surgeon, physical therapist or care team, which may differ for good reasons. Stop an exercise and get advice if it causes sharp or worsening pain. Protocol Archive is independent and is not affiliated with the NHS, AAOS or any hospital or video publisher named on this page.

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