8 bodyweight back exercises to stay flexible and strong

Bodyweight back exercises should be a part of your fitness routine, especially if you don’t want to end up with back pain. This is a common health problem, thanks to prolonged sitting and a sedentary lifestyle. Any kind of physical activity is good for your health, but if you pick exercises particularly for your back then you won’t have back pain complaints. When you go for a back workout, make sure to focus on exercises that target muscles like latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and rhomboids. You don’t need barbells, dumbbells or any other gym equipment to do these exercises. You can easily train your back right in your own living room!

A sedentary lifestyle is often linked with many health problems, including back pain. During a September 2024 study published in the BMJ Open, it was found that reducing sedentary behaviour by 40 minutes a day could help with back pain. Half of the participants increased their moderate to vigorous physical activity by 20 minutes a day for six months. They noticed less increase in back pain compared to other participants who continued their sedentary behaviour.

This study emphasized the importance of physical activity to reduce or prevent back pain. While there are many exercises to strengthen the back, go for bodyweight exercises.

What are bodyweight back exercises?

Bodyweight exercises are moves that involve using a person’s weight as resistance instead of a gym equipment. Such exercises can boost fitness, and endurance, as per Harvard Health Publishing. “As for bodyweight back exercises, they are workouts that target the muscles of the back using only the person’s body weight as resistance, without the need for equipment like dumbbells or machines,” says fitness expert Yash Agarwal.

They engage the following muscles:

• Latissimus dorsi (Lats) is the broadest muscle of the back, crucial for movements like pulling and lifting. Strong lats improve upper body strength.
• Trapezius (Traps) supports neck and shoulder movements and helps with posture.
• Rhomboids are located between the shoulder blades, and assist in retracting the scapulae. Strong rhomboids prevent rounded shoulders.
• Erector spinae runs along the spine, and aid in spinal extension, posture, and stability.

“Core muscles (obliques, rectus abdominis, and transversus abdominis, are also used during many back exercises for balance and stability,” says the expert.

Bodyweight back exercises to do at home

Here are some exercises to strengthen back that you can do at home:

1. Inverted rows

• Lie under a sturdy table.
• Grip the table and pull your chest up to it then lower.
• Do three sets of 8 to 12 reps.

2. Superman

• Lie with your face down on the floor and your arms stretched out. Like your arms, your legs should be extended in front of you.
• Take the abdominals away from the ground and bring them toward your spine.
• Use your back muscles along with glutes to raise your arms and legs simultaneously.
• Hold this position for five seconds then go back to the first step of Superman exercise.
• Do at least three sets of 15 seconds.

3. Plank to push-up

• Get on all your fours in a forearm plank position with your elbows dropped to the ground.
• Keep your hips still while engaging your core. Push up onto one of your hands, and keep it where your elbow was.
• Do the same with your other hand then lower back down to your elbows.
• Do three sets of 12 reps.

4. Reverse snow angels

• Lie down on your stomach, and face down on a mat. Your arms should be extended above your head, and fingertips should face the wall in front of you. Your thumbs should be aimed towards your room’s ceiling.
• Squeeze your inner thighs together while engaging your core and glutes.
• Slowly lift your head, then shoulders, and chest off of the ground while keeping your chin a little bit tucked and eyes focused on the floor.
• Bring both your arms towards your hips from an overhead position, and let your shoulders rotate then face the ceiling when your arms reach your hips.
• Take your arms to the overhead position.
• Do three sets of 15 reps.

5. Glute bridges

• Lie down on your back with your knees bent and shoulder-width apart, and your feet flat to the ground.
• With your open palms aimed toward the ceiling, lay your arms flat on either side of you.
• Raise your hips, as you engage your glutes, until your torso forms a straight line from your shoulder to your knee.
• Squeeze your glutes tightly and hold for a five seconds.
• Bring your hips back down to the floor, but don’t release the tension in your glutes.
• Do three sets of about 15 reps in total.

6. Reverse plank

• Sit on the floor with your legs stretched in front of you, and your palms on the floor.
• As you press into your palms, lift your hips and chest as much as possible.
• With eyes aimed at the ceiling, point your toes and keep your legs and arms straight.
• As you squeeze your core, take your belly button toward your spine and hold this position for 10 seconds.
• Bring down your hips and chest back to the floor.
• Do three sets of 30 seconds.

7. Bear crawl

• To do the bear crawl, start in a push-up position with your hands beneath your shoulders, your core engaged, and feet hip-distance apart with heels off the ground.
• Using your hands and legs, move forward in a crawling motion, but don’t let your knees touch the ground.
• Do three sets of 20 to 30 seconds.

8. Bird dog exercise

• Get on all fours to do the bird dog exercise. Your knees should be under your hips and both hands beneath your shoulders.
• While extending your right leg behind, take your left arm in front, but don’t arch your back.
• As you engage your core and glutes, lower your arm and leg then repeat on the other side.
• Do two sets of 10 reps.

Bodyweight back exercises can strengthen your back without using gym equipment. But don’t do these exercises if you have back injury or shoulder and neck issues: These exercises could cause strain and make things worse for you.