If you have typed “SI joint exercises PDF” into a search bar, you almost certainly want something specific: a routine you can print, stick on the fridge, and actually follow — not another article that lists twenty stretches and leaves you to guess the order. I understand that completely. Sacroiliac pain is confusing enough (is it my back? my hip? my glute?) without adding decision fatigue on top. So this page is built to be printed. Below you will find a short daily routine in a single table — exercise, reps, hold, and the cue that matters — followed by the reasoning behind it and the movements to leave out while the joint settles. It is the handout I would give a new client in their first week.
Key takeaway: A good printable SI joint routine takes ten to twelve minutes and pairs gentle release (knee-to-chest, figure-four, pelvic tilts) with symmetrical stabilisation (glute bridge, clam, dead bug, bird dog). Do it daily, keep every movement pain-free and even on both sides, and avoid single-leg loading and wide stretches until the joint calms. Progress to a structured programme once the basics feel easy.
A printable SI joint exercise routine should include gentle release — single knee-to-chest, supine figure-four stretch and slow pelvic tilts — followed by symmetrical stabilisation work: glute bridges, clams, dead bugs and bird dogs. Each exercise is done slowly, within a pain-free range, for 8 to 12 repetitions or a 20 to 30 second hold, taking about ten minutes in total. The release calms an irritated joint; the stability work stops it being re-irritated. Sophie Mercer, PMA-certified clinical Pilates instructor, designed an 8-week SI Joint Pain protocol of 32 exercises that progresses this routine into lasting pelvic stability, available as a downloadable PDF programme.
The printable daily SI joint routine
Print this table or save it to your phone. Do the exercises in order, once a day, on a firm surface. The whole sequence takes ten to twelve minutes. Nothing should hurt — a mild stretch or muscle effort is fine, sharp or one-sided joint pain is not.
| # | Exercise | Reps / sets | Hold | Key cue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diaphragmatic breathing (lying, knees bent) | 6 slow breaths | — | Ribs widen sideways on the inhale; belly softens. Let the lower back settle. |
| 2 | Pelvic tilts | 10 reps | — | Tiny movement. Flatten the low back, then release to neutral. No pushing. |
| 3 | Single knee-to-chest | 3 each side | 20 sec | Hold behind the thigh, not over the knee. Keep the other foot flat. |
| 4 | Supine figure-four stretch | 2 each side | 30 sec | Ankle on opposite knee, draw the thigh in. Keep both hips level on the mat. |
| 5 | Glute bridge | 2 x 10 | 2 sec at top | Press evenly through both feet. Ribs down. Stop before the back arches. |
| 6 | Clam (side-lying, knees bent) | 2 x 12 each side | — | Heels together, top knee opens without the pelvis rolling back. Small and slow. |
| 7 | Dead bug | 2 x 8 each side | — | Opposite arm and leg lower slowly; low back stays gently in contact with the mat. |
| 8 | Bird dog | 2 x 6 each side | 3 sec | Reach long, not high. Imagine a glass of water balanced on your pelvis. |
| 9 | Adductor squeeze (ball or cushion between knees) | 8 reps | 5 sec | Gentle squeeze at about 30 per cent effort. Breathe throughout. |
| 10 | Child’s pose (knees together) | 1 | 30–45 sec | Knees together, not wide. Breathe into the back of the ribs. |
Frequency: daily for the first two to three weeks, then five days a week. Progression: once every exercise feels controlled and easy, add a third set or slow the tempo — do not add range or single-leg work yet.
What is the best exercise for the SI joint?
If I could only keep one exercise from the table, it would be the glute bridge. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle crossing the back of the pelvis and it is a key player in what clinicians call force closure — the muscular compression that holds the SI joint stable as you walk and climb stairs. Bridges load both sides of the pelvis evenly, they are easy to feel, and they scale from a gentle two-second hold to loaded single-leg variations months down the line.
But the honest answer is that no single exercise fixes an SI joint. What works is the pairing — release to calm the joint, stability to protect it. The full reasoning is in my broader guide to SI joint pain exercises, and if you want the strength side developed properly, see exercises to strengthen the SI joint.
What is the best sitting position for SI joint pain?
Sitting is where a lot of SI joint pain quietly gets worse, so it belongs on the handout too:
- Both feet flat, hips level with or slightly above the knees. Use a footrest if your chair is high.
- Weight even across both sitting bones. Wriggle side to side, then settle in the middle.
- A small lumbar support — a rolled towel is fine — so the pelvis is not tucked under.
- No leg crossing, no sitting on one foot, no wallet in the back pocket. Each of these tips the pelvis and loads one joint more than the other.
- Move every 30 to 40 minutes. Stand, take a few steps, do two pelvic tilts. Prolonged stillness stiffens the joint regardless of how good the posture is.
Soft, deep sofas are the worst offenders because they tuck the pelvis and let you slump to one side. A firmer chair or a cushion behind you helps enormously.
What aggravates SI joint pain?
The pattern is consistent: asymmetry and end range. The joint dislikes being loaded unevenly or pushed to its limit while it is irritable.
- Standing on one leg to dress, or hopping into trousers
- Deep lunges, pigeon pose and wide straddle stretches, which pull one side of the pelvis away from the other
- Twisting under load — lifting and turning, or golf and racquet sports during a flare
- Stairs two at a time, or a long stride uphill
- Rolling over in bed without keeping the knees together
- Prolonged sitting or standing in one position
- Sudden increases in activity — a long walk after a sedentary month
None of these is banned forever. They come back gradually once the stabilisers can cope. I go through the full list, with safer swaps, in SI joint pain exercises to avoid.
How long does it take for sacroiliac joint pain to heal?
Set your expectations in phases rather than in a single date:
- Weeks 1 to 2: the goal is calming. With release work, activity modification and the routine above, most acute flares ease noticeably.
- Weeks 3 to 6: stability builds. Bridges and clams get easier, single-sided tasks like stairs stop provoking the joint as readily.
- Weeks 6 to 12: consolidation. This is where the muscles supporting the pelvis are genuinely stronger and flares become rarer and shorter.
Recurrent SI joint pain usually needs the full two to three months because you are changing the way your pelvis is supported, not just settling one episode. If nothing has shifted after six weeks of honest effort, or if you have leg numbness, weakness, or any change in bladder or bowel control, see a physiotherapist or doctor rather than pushing on. Pelvic pain in pregnancy has its own considerations, covered in exercises for SI joint pain in pregnancy.
How the SI Joint Pain protocol helps
The table above is week one. Sophie’s 8-Week SI Joint Pain Program is the full structured version — 32 exercises across eight weeks, delivered as a downloadable PDF protocol you can print in exactly the same way. It begins with the release and basic stabilisation you have just seen, then progresses load, tempo and eventually single-leg control so the pelvis is supported for the long term, with each week laid out so you never have to guess what comes next.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Low back and pelvic pain can have several causes; if your pain is severe, radiates down the leg, comes with numbness or weakness, or doesn’t improve, please consult a physiotherapist or doctor before continuing.