10 Best Exercises that Strengthen Your Back

Pelvic Tilting

This exercise helps in strengthening your transverse abdominis muscle that surrounds your abdomen and insert into your lower back.

Instructions:

• Bend your knees while lying on the floor with the feet flat on the floor and lying at a distance of a hip width from each other.

• Assume a relaxed position and then gently push your lower back muscles into the ground while pushing up your pelvis. Hold for 3-5 seconds and then relax. Repeat this exercise for several times.

Hip Lifting Exercise

This exercise helps in stabilizing your spine by giving strength to the lower back, gluteal, and abdominal muscles.

Instructions:

• Start this exercise with lying on your back with knees bent and feet at a hip-width distance.

• With your head and shoulder relaxed, contract your abdominal and gluteal muscles inward.

• Elevate your buttocks in line with your knees and shoulders and hold for 3 seconds.

• Gently lower down to original position.

• Repeat this exercise for 10-12 times.

Bird Dog Exercise

These back strengthening exercises tighten your gluteus, upper back, lumbar spine, and hamstrings muscles and also improve balance and coordination.

Instructions:

• Start with your hand and knees on the ground. Your arms should be straight down in line with your shoulders and your knees just below your hips.

• Thrust your abdominal muscles inward towards your spine.

• Extend your right leg aligned with your hips for 3 seconds and your left arm straight in front.

• Perform the same on the other side.

• Repeat this maneuver for five to ten times depending on your stamina.

Swan Dive

This exercise helps to firm your gluteus muscle and makes your spine more flexible and strong. It also enhances your core strength and stabilizes your lower back.

Instructions:

• Begin with lying down in a prone position.

• Extend your arms above the level of your head while pointing your toes outward.

• Stretch out your arms and legs 6 inches above the floor and hold in this position for a few seconds.

• Exhale and extend your arms backward to the sides in such a way that your palm faces inwards. Hold and then return to the original position.

• Resume and then repeat the procedure six to eight times.

Lunge Exercise

Among the back strengthening exercises, this one improves balance and control of your entire body and protect your back during walking, climbing or running. It firms your glutes, hamstrings, calves and quads muscles.

Instructions:

• Begin this exercise by standing up in legs apart position and your hands on hips.

• Then step ahead by using your right foot with your left leg bending backward.

• Keep your abdominal muscles slightly contracted and your back in upright position.

• Move your right leg further down at a 90-degree angle and hold for a few seconds.

• Switch leg and repeat the exercise for 8-12 times on alternate sides.

Reverse Fly Exercise

This exercise targets your upper back and shoulders muscles including posterior deltoid, rhomboid, and middle trapezius muscles and make them strong.

Instructions:

• Start by standing on your feet with a mild curve in your knees and light-weighted dumbbells in your hands.

• Bend your waist forward and keep your back straight.

• Hang your both arms towards the floor.

• Move up slightly by contracting your upper back muscles and bend your elbows until they align with your shoulders. Hold for a while and then resume.

• Repeat it 10-15 times.

5. Knee to Chest Stretch

This exercise stretches your back muscles, hip flexors, and hamstrings and makes your spine more flexible.

Instructions:

• Lie in a supine position.

• Bend your knees in such a way that your feet lie flat on the ground.

• Firmly push your back into the floor and contract your abs.

• Keep your right foot firm and move your left knee inwards until it touches your chest. Hold your bent knee with hands for 5-10 seconds and then come back to starting position.

• Switch it to other leg and then try to do with both legs.

• Redo this exercise two to three times daily.

Side Plank Exercise

This primarily builds your core muscles and protects your lower back. It strengthens muscles in your abdomen, back, hips, and thighs.

Instructions:

• Lie straight on your right side and rest on your forearm.

• Make sure to keep your elbow just beneath the shoulder.

• Gently contract your belly inward towards the spine and raise your hips and knees from the ground level. Take care to remain aligned while doing this exercise and level your head and neck with your spine.

• Hold into this position for 20-30 seconds and then resume.

• Now perform on the left side and repeat again at least two to three times.

Abdominal Chair Crunch

These back strengthening exercises increase your core endurance and tone your abdominal muscles.

Instructions:

• Lie on your back and keep your calf muscles relaxed on a chair (or without it if you can hold the position).

• Place your hands underneath your head and raise up your chin.

• Contract your abdominal muscles while lifting your shoulders off the floor.

• Slowly resume and then repeat 10 times.

Cat-Camel Back Stretch Exercise

Stretching the lower back muscles increases the flexibility of the spine and also prevents back pain.

Instructions:

• Start with your all fours on the ground.

• Curve your back and extend your lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine up towards the ceiling.

• Then slowly flex your back and abdomen into the ground.

• Relax and repeat the stretch three to five times twice a day.

Exercises to Avoid with Backache:

• Standing toe exercise is harmful to your back muscles and hamstrings and place excessive load on your spine.

• Avoid sit-ups as it may create unwanted stress within the vertebral discs.

• If you raise your both legs up while lying flat on your back, it may put pressure on your core muscles and may aggravate back pain.