Back Strengthening Exercises – The Top 3

Best Back Strengthening Exercises For A Healthy Back

Backache and back pain plague millions of people all over the world. It can happen at any age.

Luckily, some simple back strengthening exercises can help to reduce the amount of pain you suffer.

Let’s look quickly at what causes back pain.

Causes of Back Pain

Back pain can be due to:

• Repetitive strain on the back
• An acute injury to the back
• Bony wear and tear on the back
• Arthritis
• Fatigue
• Working in a sitting job – the back is weakened due to lack of exercise (that’s me!)
• Osteoporosis

Many cases of back pain can be avoided by gentle back strengthening exercises that strengthen the muscles and ligaments in a healthy way.

Strengthen The Core

Your back is not the only thing that keeps your body upright.

Your abdomen as well as your back, represent the “core” of your body.

Both parts need to be functioning properly in order for you to be able to stand, stretch, and bend appropriately.

A weak abdomen puts too much pressure on the back to take on functions the abdomen needs to participate in.

And so it makes sense that perhaps some of the best back strengthening exercises for a healthy back, focus on strengthening the abdomen too.

Abdominal exercises strengthen the overall core and will help you have a strong and healthy back.

Let’s look at the top 3 exercises. The majority are all done with your own bodyweight and don’t need special equipment, making them green and eco friendly as well as healthy!

Back Strengthening Exercises  #1 – Sit-Ups

Something as simple as sit ups can help strengthen the abdominal muscles so that the core is strengthened.

The great thing about sit-ups is that you can improve different parts of your abdomen.

Sit-ups can be done in several ways to strengthen the upper, middle and body muscles. For example:

• Sit ups with your legs straight—this strengthens the upper abdominal muscles
• Sit ups with your legs bent—this strengthens the middle abdominal muscles
• Lying down and lifting your feet off the floor—this strengthens the lower abdominal muscles

Try to do these three kinds of sit-ups in sets of ten at a time and you will have a strong core that will help your back to keep your body strong.

Build up to about ten sets a day – this involves three hundred different exercises to strengthen your core.

Back Strengthening Exercises  #2 – Leg Lifts

Leg lifts are simple but effective back strengthening exercises.

Lie prone (on your stomach) and lift your leg straight up a few inches off the ground. Do one leg at a time.

Ideally, you should do sets of ten backward leg lifts at a time before switching legs.  Do several sets each day to strengthen your back.

Back Strengthening Exercises  #3 – Back Exercise Machines

There are machines you can use at a gym or health club that isolate the back muscles.

They involve sitting in a type of chair that bends backwards when you straighten out your back so you are in a lying position.

Different weights can be added to the machine so that you can gradually increase your muscle strength with heavier and heavier weights.

Do ten repetitions at a time and several sets of repetitions as part of an overall muscle strengthening routine.

Bonus Back Strengthening Exercises  – Pilates & Stretching

Pilates is another form of core strengthening exercise. Pilates is best learned in a class or with personalized lessons from a Pilates instructor. It’s also possible to learn through a DVD course. Pilates, when done properly, will definitely strengthen your abdominal and back muscles. The exercises are easily learned and can be a part of your daily exercise routine.

Flexibility exercises or stretches help your back as well – they include things like bending from side to side to loosen back stiffness, and bending forward to touch your toes, which keeps your back from getting too tight.

Summary

A healthy back is all about core strength training with stomach firming and back strengthening exercises.

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Warm regards,