Lizziness-
I did the stretches from a really old exercise tape I have called Callanetics. They involve laying on your back and curling your tail bone up off the floor with a variety of leg positions. She also has a modified squat exercise where you stand on your toes, holding onto a bar or the back of a chair, lower yourself an inch or two curl up your tail bone (the opposite of arching your back) return to center, lower a couple of more inches and repeat. Then you work your way back up.
The exercises are similar to yoga and pilates but the woman who created them had very bad back problems, so all the exercises are kind of designed with back strengthening and protection in mind. I had totally forgotten I owned this tape, it must be 20 years old, until I had my back go out badly a couple of weeks ago.
I was looking on amazon today, and they have some of her tapes & books in the used section and some have been re-issued on dvd. I actually ordered another (more advanced) tape this morning because my back felt so much looser last night after doing the exercises. I have the beginner tape at home now.
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