Posture Movement Awareness Exercise: Lumbar Flexion and Extension in the Crawler Position**

You will need a mirror and/or a friend with a camera.
Lumbar Flexion & Extension, Start:-

Kneel in the crawler position (see diagram).
If you have back pain, proceed, but with caution!

Exploring your Lumbar Flexion:- Action

Gently and slowly bend your torso upwards. Explore the feeling. Do not push through pain.
Hold the position three breathes, and then slowly bend your torso upwards a little further. Explore the feeling! Note if there is pain, & avoid this extreme position throughout your day!
Have your friend take a picture!

Exploring your Lumbar Extension:- Action

Gently and slowly bend your torso downwards. Explore the feeling. Do not push through pain.
Hold the position three breathes, & then slowly bend your torso downwards a little further. Explore the feeling! Note if there is pain, & avoid this extreme position throughout your day!
Have your friend take a picture!

Lumbar Neutral in the Crawler Position:-

Come back to what you feel to be comfortable middle position for you torso, and have your friend take a picture.

(Lumbar Flexion & Extension Scroll right>>>...)

Pictures: Lumbar Flexion & Extension in the Crawler Position

Start Position:-

Flexion:-
(Is this where you feel pain?)

Extension:-
(Or is this where you feel pain?)

Back to Neutral having explored the full range of movement:;

What this posture-movement awareness exercise does-

Lets you know if your back pain is caused by going into flexion or into extension.
Gets you to think about, and get a feel for, the safe middle range of your lumbar spine.

Comments
From your pictures, you can measure the ranges of movement for your lumbar spine, and compare them with approximate "normal" values below.

Measurement	Normal for the "Crawler" Position:- (best guess estimates- do not take too literally!)	Picture to left:-
Lumbar flexion	20 to 25 degrees	22
Lumbar Extension	-10 to -20 degrees	-12
Neutral Lumbar Positioning	12 to -5 degrees	8

This 70 year old quote still holds true today: "Good body mechanics imply that all the joints of the body are used is such a position in relation to their total range of motion that the possibility of further motion in either direction - the factor of safety motion - is always present(2)".
Once you know the feel of the safe middle range, stick with it! - it gives you that "factor of safety!"

Reference

Shirley A Sahrman: "Movement Impairment Syndromes" Publ. Mosby, 2002 ISBN 0-8016-7205-8
Goldthwaite Joel E, Lloyd T. Brown, Loring T. Swaim and John G Kuhns: Essentials of Body Mechanics in Health and Disease. (1934,1952) Fifth Edition. Philadelphia: J.B. Lipincott.

Posture Movement Awareness Exercise: Lumbar Flexion & Extension