She Strengthens

Banish Back Pain with These Effective At-Home Exercises

Are you tired of feeling hunched over and experiencing back pain from too much sitting? The good news is that you can improve your posture, strengthen your back muscles, and alleviate discomfort without leaving your home.

Warm Up and Get Ready

Before diving into the exercises, start with some gentle warm-ups to prepare your back muscles. These movements will help increase blood flow, reduce stiffness, and set you up for success.

• Cat-Cow: Move your spine in a flowing motion, arching your back and lifting your tailbone, then rounding your spine and tucking your chin. Repeat for 6 reps.
• Hip Circles: Roll your hips in a circular motion, keeping your shoulders down and away from your ears. Repeat for 3 circles in each direction.
• Hammock: Move your hips forward and down, arching your chest and chin toward the ceiling. Then, exhale and flow back to Child’s Pose. Repeat for 3-4 reps.

Floor-Based Exercises

These exercises will target your entire back body, from your glutes to your upper back.

• Bird Dog: Engage your abs and extend one leg straight back, parallel to the floor, while extending the opposite arm forward. Move slowly and deliberately, feeling the muscles contract with each rep. Repeat for 8 reps per side.
• Lunge Rotate: Start in a low lunge position and extend both arms straight in front of you. Twist your trunk, touching one hand to your heart center, then extending it back behind you. Repeat for 5 reps per side.
• Plank with Lateral Arm Raise: Engage your core and raise one arm laterally until it’s parallel with your shoulder. Hold for a moment, then release and repeat on the other side. Repeat for 10 reps per side.
• Superman: Lie facedown on the floor and lift your head, shoulders, arms, and legs off the floor, holding for a moment. Exhale and return to the resting position. Repeat for 10 reps.

Standing Exercises

These exercises will target your entire back body, from your glutes to your upper back.

• Hip Hinges: Stand with feet hip-width apart, spine straight, and hands on your hips. Bend your torso forward to 90 degrees, hold for a moment, and then raise yourself back upright. Repeat for 2 sets of 10 reps.
• Isometric Hip Hinges: Hold the hip hinge position for 3 full breaths before rising back up. Repeat for 3 reps.
• Bent-Over Double Delt Raises: Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a light dumbbell in each hand. Bend knees slightly, engage abs and glutes, and lower your torso until it’s about parallel with the floor. Lift the weights outward and apart to shoulder height, then lower them back to the starting position. Repeat for 10-15 reps.
• Bent-Over Row with Resistance Band: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart at the center of the band. Hold one handle of the band in each hand, with arms hanging straight down toward the floor. Bend knees, lower your torso to about 90 degrees, and press hips slightly back. Pull the band toward your hips, drawing your shoulder blades together. Return to the straight-arm position and repeat for 10 reps.
• Extend Rotate: Stand with feet hip-width apart and knees bent. Fold your torso forward toward your knees, placing one hand on your knee for stability. With the other hand, touch the floor on the outside of your foot, then sweep your hand and arm toward the ceiling as you rotate your torso. Repeat for 5 reps per side.

Chair Exercises

These exercises can be done while seated in a chair, making them perfect for busy days or office breaks.

• Shoulder Squeeze: Sit tall in a chair and squeeze your shoulder blades together, holding for 5 seconds. Release and repeat for 3-5 reps.
• Isometric Neck Extension: Sit upright in a chair, relax your shoulders back and down, and clasp your hands behind your head. Resist the forward pressure with your hands, engaging the muscles at the back of your neck and upper back. Hold for 5 seconds, then release. Repeat for 5 reps.

Cool Down and Relax

Finish your workout with some gentle cool-down exercises to soothe your back muscles and promote relaxation.

• 90/90 Spiral with Rotation: Sit with your legs in a “pinwheel position” and reach up toward the ceiling with one hand while turning your torso in the same direction. Exhale as you sweep your elbow to the floor alongside your knee and hip. Repeat for 5 reps per side.
• Wind-Relieving Pose: Lie on your back on the floor or a yoga mat, pulling one knee up toward your chest and clasping your hands around your shin. Hold for a few slow breaths, then switch sides.
• Supine Twist: Lie on your back on the floor or a yoga mat, pulling one knee up toward your chest and guiding it across your body with your opposite hand. Hold and breathe, then switch sides.

Putting it All Together

If you have 10 minutes, warm up with the floor-based exercises and finish with one or two cool-down poses. If you have 20 minutes, tackle the standing exercises followed by the chair-based exercises and finish with all three cool-down poses. And if you have zero minutes, practice the chair-based exercises at least twice a day and focus on maintaining good posture throughout the day.