Millions of people battle chronic pain, far more than most realize, and experts estimate that number will continue to rise over the next 15 years. And while the standard advice in days past was to treat pain with rest and inactivity, there’s a growing consensus that movement based approaches are a much more effective antidote. In fact, the European Pain Federation stresses that exercise should be the primary intervention for chronic pain care.
One exercise based approach that’s gaining popularity is Foundation Training (FT), developed by chiropractor Dr. Eric Goodman to treat his own back pain. It is a corrective exercise system designed to address postural imbalances and restore healthy movement patterns. It’s also accessible, using no equipment, and promises results within a month of daily practice.
Below, you’ll learn about Foundation Training, its philosophy, exercises and its connection to reducing inflammation, strengthening muscles and relieving chronic pain. Whether you’re new to FT or familiar with it, you’ll learn how intentional movement can help alleviate chronic pain.
How It Works
Grounded in gravity-based decompression, posterior-chain activation, and mindful breathing, Functional Training is a daily practice that aims to correct muscle imbalances and retrain posture “from the ground up.”
Dr. Goodman explains that this process helps counteract the way modern lifestyles compress the body. The core principles of foundation training are:
- Posterior chain activation (back, glutes, hamstrings)
- Decompression breathing to expand the ribcage and reduce spinal compression
- Hip-hinging (“The Founder” exercise) to train the body to stabilize through the hips rather than the spine
The routine takes about 10 to 15 minutes each day and lasts 30 days.
Benefits and Evidence for Foundation Training
In general, exercise has huge benefits for chronic pain. It lowers pro-inflammatory markers (such as NF-α, IL-6, and CRP) and boosts anti-inflammatory cytokines to reduce pain. Strength gains made from posterior chain resistance training (PCRT), in particular, have been shown to reduce pain and lower disability. So, it’s no surprise that PCRT is central to chronic low back pain therapy.
Another aspect of FT is a special breathing practice to expand the rib cage and reduce spinal compression. Deep breathing exercises may lower the intensity of pain and have been shown to make life feel better for people with chronic pain, which is no small feat.
One lesser known aspect of chronic pain and its relationship with exercise is fear. Fear that exercise will hurt is a big barrier for many people experiencing chronic pain. And unfortunately, fear itself can lead to increased pain, like a negative feedback loop. Gentle exercise, like yoga, tai chi and Foundation Training, use mindful, controlled movements to disrupt the fear-avoidance patterns.
Along the same lines, newer research shows chronic pain rewires sensory-processing areas in the brain. These areas form networks that are important for feeling pain, and when these networks focus on pain, even small sensations can feel very intense and emotionally distressing. But the research suggests purposeful movement, like FT, may reverse these neurological changes, getting pain under control and making exercise and daily living feel more manageable again.
Foundation Training Exercises
Here’s a short list of some of the FT exercises.
The Founder
The Founder is the FT signature hip-hinging pose, which teaches your body to load through the hips instead of the lower back to strengthen spinal support.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, weight on heels.
- Push your hips back, tilt your torso forward and extend your arms ahead or sideways.
- Keep your back straight and core braced. Hold for 15–30 seconds, feeling tension in the glutes, hamstrings and adductors.
Decompression Breathing (Standing & Supine)
Decompression breathing combines spinal decompression with diaphragm-based core engagement to ease spinal pressure and activate deep stabilizers.
- To do the standing version, stand with your spine elongated and chest open. Inhale deeply into your ribs, and exhale with control to lift and stabilize your core.
- To do the supine version, start by lying on your back. Inhale to expand the ribcage, exhale to engage the core and draw the belly down, allowing for spine decompression.
Anchored Back Extension (or Adductor-Assisted Back Extension)
The anchored back extension is a controlled exercise for your back. In this exercise, you pull your legs inward, which helps engage your inner thigh muscles and improves the activation of your glutes and hamstrings. It strengthens the entire posterior chain, reinforces decompression and improves spinal extension control.
- Lying face down, lift your chest and legs off the floor.
- Engage your back and hip muscles, optionally pulling your knees together.
Internal Leg Trace
Another hip-hinging movement, the internal leg trace challenges balance and core control while strengthening the stabilizing muscles around the pelvis by activating the adductors.
- Bend forward at the hips.
- Rest one hand on your thigh while the other leg crosses over and lifts the ankle in. You should feel the groin and hip stabilizers activate.
Static Back (aka Static Extension Position)
The static back exercise gently mobilizes your thoracic spine, stretches hip flexors and builds stability endurance. It balances spinal alignment with passive abdominal relaxation.
- From all fours, walk your hands forward until your shoulders are ahead of your wrists, your hips are slightly back and you let your low back arch and upper back decompress.
- Hold for 60–120 seconds.
Other exercises include the Hip-Hinge March, Supine Leg Extensions and “Superman” stretch, which focus on breathing, stretching the spine and activating muscles in the back and core. Together, all the exercises promote body awareness, reconnect different parts of the body and encourage safe movement for the spine.
How to Get Started with Foundation Training
If you are experiencing chronic pain, Foundation Training is worth a try. Its movements and practices align with the current evidence and plenty of people report great results from the 30-day routine. Foundation Training has free YouTube content, so you can try the exercises for yourself. There’s also an FT streaming app and certified instructors you can connect with.
Aside from FT, you’re likely to find relief in any form of mindful, safely progressing exercise, including posterior chain resistance training exercises (like deadlifts), yoga and tai chi. Be sure to speak to your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise program to be sure it’s a good fit for you.
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