These back strengthening exercises will give you strength and endurance, improve your posture, and increase spinal mobility.

Having strong back muscles means that your muscles are carrying the weight of your body and not the bones. Weak muscles around the spine can cause back pain, headaches, and general weakness of the body. So naturally strengthening them will not only relieve you of the pain and help you maintain correct posture, but also increase your energy levels.

All these exercises can be done at home and without any equipment.

To create a back workout routine choose one exercise from every group. Depending on your fitness level you will do 1, 2 or 3 sets. For each exercise are included text instructions and a video demonstration.

17 Back Exercises For Women

Back Exercises Group 1

Bird Dog

Bird Dog exercise strengthens the muscles around your spine, increases range of motion, and promotes correct posture.

To start, get on all fours with hands, and knees on the ground. Stack your wrists directly under the shoulders and knees right under the hips with toes tucked under for balance. Keep your back straight by drawing your belly button in and up. Don’t let your belly drop down, because that will cause your back to arch.
Then slowly extend your right leg behind and keep it at the same level as the back, toes pointing.
At the same time raise your left hand and reach out in front, keeping it at the same level as the back.
Take a deep breath in.
Breathe out and bring your elbow and knee to meet under your body.
Breathe in and extend arm and leg.

This is one rep of the Bird Dog exercise. Repeat it 15 times then switch to do the same with the left leg and right hand.

For more clarity have a look at this video.

Down Dog to Up Dog

This exercise develops strength in the shoulders and muscles around the spine. It aligns the spine vertebra which helps to improve posture.

Start from the Down Dog. Standing on your hands and toes, lift your tailbone up. Make sure your upper body is in one line, from hips all the way to the stretched-out arms, with head between arms. You can bend your knees to feel more comfortable, but don’t arch back.
From the Down Dog slowly slide into the Up Dog. Move your body forward into a high plank and push your hips down towards the mat while arching your back. Hold your head straight, and don’t let your shoulders sink.
Take one deep breath.
Move back into the Down Dog. Shift your body back by lifting your tailbone up towards the sky and settle yourself back into the Down Dog.

This is one rep of the Down Dog to Up Dog exercise. Repeat it 10 times.

To better understand how to perform this exercise correctly have a look at the video below.

Cat And Cow

Cat And Cow exercise is important for spine health because it decompresses intervertebral discs to improve back endurance.

Begin with hands and knees on the floor. With wrists under shoulders and knees under hips, keep your back straight, and head in line with the back looking at the mat.
Slowly round your back, pushing pelvis towards elbows, drawing belly button in towards the spine, and letting your head loosely hang down from the neck.
Take one deep breath.
Slowly arch your back down, pushing the belly button towards the mat and raise your chest and tailbone, lift the head and look forward.
Take one deep breath.

This is one rep of the Cat And Cow exercise. Repeat it 10 times.

To see exactly how this exercise should be performed, check out this short video.

Back Exercises Group 2

Superman

The Superman exercise engages back muscles that support the spine (erector spinae muscles). It strengthens them to support correct posture and reduce back pain.

Lie down on your belly with legs stretched, feet are not more than hip-width apart.
Reach with arms in front of your head.
Lift arms, chest, and legs off the mat, keeping only abdomen and hips on the floor, with head between arms in line with the back.
Hold the position for one second.
Rest legs, arms, and head down on the mat.

This is one rep of the Superman exercise. Repeat 15 times.

To see exactly how it’s done look at this video.

Swimmers

Practicing Swimmers exercise improves your muscle coordination and posture.

Lie face down on the mat, with face raised above the mat and looking down. Reach your arms straight in front of you and rest them on the floor. Legs are on the floor, straight with toes pointing out.
At the same time lift off the floor your right arm and left leg.
Count to three.
Rest your arm and leg back on the floor.
Now switch sides and lift off the floor your left arm and right leg.
Count to three.
Rest your arm and leg back on the floor.

This is one rep of the Swimmers exercise. Repeat 15 times.

This was a beginner’s version of swimmers, if you want to make it more challenging then try the regular version. You can see how it’s done here in this video.

Reverse Snow Angel

Reverse Snow Angels strengthen upper back muscles (scapular muscles), and improve shoulder mobility and range of motion.

Lie down on your belly with arms stretched out in front of your body and legs stretched behind hip-width apart, toes pointing out.
Lift arms, chest, and legs off the mat, keep your head in line with your back.
Slowly swing your arms backward until they are at the sides, keeping them straight and above the floor at all times.
Swing arms slowly to meet in front of the body.

This is one rep of the Reverse Snow Angel exercise. Repeat 20 times.

To better understand how to do this exercise correctly, look at the video.

Back Extension

Back Extensions strengthen muscles along the spine and especially lower back muscles.

Lie down on your belly with legs stretched out behind on the floor, slightly apart, and toes stretched out.
Bring your hands under your shoulders and using your upper and middle back lift your chest off the mat, using hands only for stability, hold your head in a way that it stays in the same line as your shoulders and neck.
Hold for a breath or two.
Lower your chest down on the mat.

This is one rep of the Back Extension exercise. Repeat 10 times. Instead of reps, you can do Back Extension Hold, then instead of holding the position for a breath or two, hold it for 30 seconds.

To see exactly how it’s done and to learn two modifications ( intermediate and advance) have a look at this video.

Back Exercises Group 3

Plank With Lateral Arm Raise

Plank With Lateral Arm Raise is the perfect exercise to engage and strengthen deep spinal stabilizing muscles (quadratus lumborum).

Stand in a high plank with legs wider than hips apart and hands close together directly under your chest.
Extend the right arm to the side, to a shoulder height, keeping it parallel to the mat, keep your body as straight as possible, particularly making sure you don’t move the hips.
Bring your right hand back on the mat.
Extend the left arm to the side in the same way.
Bring your left hand back on the mat.

This is one rep of the Plank With Lateral Arm Raise exercise. Repeat it 15 times.

To get a better understanding of how to correctly do the exercise look at the video below.

Rainbow Plank

Rainbow Plank exercise strengthens back muscles and improves spine flexibility which leads to better posture, balance, and stability.

Start in a low plank. Your elbows are directly under the shoulders. Push your shoulder blades up as if you are pulling yourself away from the floor and engage the core. Keep your head straight, eyes on the mat.
Keeping your body as straight as possible, slowly in a curve direction dip your right side to the floor.
In the same motion come back to the center.
Then dip your left side.
And bring it back to the center.

This is one rep of the Rainbow Plank exercise. Repeat it 15 times.

For more clarity have a look at the short video demonstration.

Plank Hold

The Plank Hold exercise works on building endurance of muscles along the spine and between shoulders. This exercise helps to maintain correct posture while standing and sitting.

Position yourself in a low plank, with elbows directly under shoulders. Pull your belly button in towards the spine. Hold your shoulders strong and push your upper back upward and away from the mat.
Try to hold your body as straight as possible. But if you are unsure of your position then know that it’s better to round your body upward than to let it arch downward.
Hold the position for 60 seconds.

This is how a correct low plank should look like.

Back Exercises Group 4

Bridges

Bridges exercise strengthens lower back muscles and if done correctly it also strengthens upper back muscles.

Lie on the back with legs bent in knees, feet hip-width apart, and as close to the body as possible, but it shouldn’t hurt.
Hands at sides, resting on the mat or bent in elbows.
Push the tailbone upward, push the knees towards the toes and engage upper back muscles for stability.
With control lower your tailbone down.

This is one rep of the Bridges exercise. Repeat it 20 times.

To learn how to correctly perform bridges watch the video below.

Heel Touches

Practicing Heel Touches exercise increases the stability and flexibility of back muscles.

Lie on your back with bent knees, feet hip-width apart.
Lift your head and shoulders off the mat. Lift arms slightly off the mat keeping them straight with open palms facing down.
Keeping the middle and lower back on the mat reach with your right hand your right heel.
Return to the middle.
Reach with your left hand your left heel.
Return to the middle.

This is one rep of the Heel Touches exercise. Repeat it 20 times.

To see exactly how it’s done, have a look at the short video demonstration.

Pelvic Tilt

Pelvic Tilt exercise stretches and strengthens lower back muscles, and improves posture by repairing posterior pelvic tilt.

Lie on your back with knees bent at 45° angle, feet hip-width apart.
Slowly drop your lower back on the mat and roll pelvic bones up and toward your body.
Slowly roll back to the starting position.

This is one rep of the Pelvic Tilt exercise. Repeat it 20 times.

You can see in more detail how to correctly do the exercise in the video below.

Full Bridge

Practicing Full Bridge regularly improves posture, balance and relieves back pain.

Sit on the floor with legs bent in knees at a 45° angle. Lean back on your hands, fingers pointing toward your legs.
Lift your hips up from the mat and align your upper body so it’s one line from knees to shoulders. Adjust your feet and hands so the feet are directly under the knees and wrists under the shoulders.
Take one deep breath.
With control lower your hips down on the mat.

This is one rep of the Full Bridge exercise. Repeat it 20 times.

For more clarity have a look at this short video.

Back Exercises Group 5

Deadlifts

Deadlifts improve lifting movement and strengthen back stabilizing muscles.

Stand up straight with feet slightly apart. Place your hands, with interlaced fingers, on the back of your head.
Holding your back, neck, and head straight, bend forward in hips until your upper body is parallel with the mat. Bend your knees as needed to keep your back straight and prevent pain in the hamstrings.
Stan back up.

This is one rep of the Deadlift exercise. Repeat it 15 times.

You can see how the exercise looks like in this video.

Lawnmowers

Lawnmowers exercise strengthens back muscles and improves spinal mobility.

Stand up straight.
Bend the right arm and reach with the right elbow up and behind the head.
In one motion reach with the right hand the left foot while bending the right leg and keeping the left leg straight.
Stand back up.

This is one rep of the Lawnmower exercise. Repeat it 15 times with the right hand then 15 more times with the left hand.

To better understand how to correctly do the exercise look at the video below.

Sitting Leg Raises

This is a more advanced exercise and it’s the most challenging of the lot. It increases the strength and endurance of back muscles and improves spinal mobility.

Sit with a straight back on the mat, legs stretched out in front.
Lean forward, stretch out your arms and place your hands on the floor next to your legs.
Pressing down on the hands lift your legs off the mat without bending knees.
Hold the position for 30 seconds.

If you have weak abdominal and back muscles this exercise will be really hard in the beginning. But with practice and over time your muscles will get stronger.

In the video below you will learn exactly how to do this workout.