12 Back Strengthening Exercises Physical Therapists Swear By

Your back is a central player in just about everything you do during the day, whether you need to sit, stand, walk, run, climb, twist, turn, bend, or lift. “Your back is your body’s gravity center,” explains Samantha Stewart, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. “If you strain or injure your back in any way, it can not only leave you sore and stiff, but it can also make it very hard to do all of your daily activities.”  

But don’t feel discouraged: There’s a lot you can do to help relieve back pain, not the least of which is targeted back strengthening exercises, says Dr. Stewart. 

Read on to learn how strengthening your back can improve your everyday function and reduce pain, especially with these back strengthening exercises recommended by Hinge Health physical therapists.

Interested in getting a personalized exercise therapy plan? Learn more about Hinge Health’s digital physical therapy program and see if you’re eligible.

12 Back Strengthening Exercises to Do at Home

Like all your muscles, the muscles of your back need to stay strong to power you through everything you have to do during the day. Here’s what Hinge Health physical therapists recommend for back strengthening exercises you can do at home.

This move activates your lower back and hip muscles, which help to stabilize your entire trunk. “The stronger they are, the healthier your spine will be, which can help reduce your risk of back pain,” says Dr. Stewart.

How to do it:

• Lie comfortably on your back. With your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, push through your feet to raise your hips off the floor.

• Squeeze your butt muscles at the top of the move. 

• Relax your hips back to the floor.

Get more information on how to do a bridge.

This is one of the best non-weight-bearing back exercises. It’s also one of the best upper back strengthening exercises out there. “When you lift up during this move, you activate all the muscles throughout your back — your upper back, middle back, and lower back,” explains Dr. Stewart.

How to do it:

• Lie face down with your arms and legs extended and your forehead resting on the ground.

• Slowly lift your arms, chest, and legs toward the ceiling as high as you comfortably can.

• Hold this position, gazing at the floor to keep your neck in a neutral position.

• Relax your body back to the starting position.

Get more information on how to do the superman.

This move activates your core, which is important for back health. Although a lack of core strength doesn’t necessarily cause back pain, research shows that strengthening your core can help alleviate back pain and prevent future pain flares. “You can modify it in many ways, as well, depending on your fitness level,” points out Dr. Stewart. You can lift one arm and no leg, or just one leg, for example.

How to do it:

• Get into a comfortable position on your hands and knees, with your hands below your shoulders, and your knees directly under your hips.

• Lift and extend one leg behind you while you reach your opposite arm off the ground. Your leg and arm should form a straight line with your back. 

• Return to the starting position.

• Repeat on the opposite side, lifting your other arm and leg off the floor. 

• Return to the starting position.

Get more information on how to do bird dog.

A traditional plank activates your back, as well as all your core muscles, as you press yourself up off of the ground. You can also modify it by going down on your knees, or resting on your elbows, notes Dr. Stewart.

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees with your arms straight and hands placed directly under your shoulders. 

• Extend your legs back behind you, supporting your body on your hands and toes. Your body should form a straight line from the back of your head to your heels.

• Hold this position, squeezing the muscles in your core and glutes to keep you in alignment. Don’t let your hips dip toward the floor or pop up in the air. 

• Relax your knees to the mat, returning to the starting position.

Get more information on how to do a plank.

“Since you have to isolate one side of your body during a side plank, you strengthen the muscles along the side of your torso, including the obliques and the quadratus lumborum, which help stabilize your spine,” explains Dr. Stewart. This can help reduce strain on your lower back and alleviate or prevent back pain.

How to do it:

• Lie on your side with your legs straight and your feet stacked on top of each other. 

• Place your forearm on the floor, under your shoulder. 

• Push through your feet and forearm to lift your hips up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your core muscles. 

• Lower your hips back to the floor. 

Get more information on how to do a side plank.

This move works the muscles of your mid and upper back, which are crucial in helping you do things like pull objects toward your body without straining your back muscles, says Dr. Stewart.

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart.

• Hinge at your hips to bring your chest forward with your back flat and at a 45-degree angle to the floor. 

• Bend your elbows to bring your hands toward your ribcage, keeping your elbows close to the sides of your body as you move. 

• Squeeze the muscles between your shoulder blades, then return to the starting position. 

Get more information on how to do a bent over row.

This exercise strengthens the muscles throughout your back, providing stability and confidence with any movement.

How to do it:

• Start standing, then hinge at your hips to bend your chest toward the floor. Your arms should be straight and hanging toward the floor. 

• Move your arms toward the ceiling into an “I” position with your arms straight. 

• Relax your arms back down, then lift your arms toward the ceiling into a “Y” shape. 

• Lower your arms, then lift them out to your sides into a “T,” squeezing your shoulder blades together.  

• Relax to the starting position. 

The hip hinge is a functional exercise that mimics the way your body moves in real life when you do things like lift heavy objects off the ground, says Dr. Stewart. It focuses on strengthening your glutes, hamstrings, and also the erector spinae muscles in your back. The erector spinae run along either side of your spine and are crucial for back extension, rotation, and stabilization.

How to do it:

• Start by standing with your feet about hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. 

• Keeping your back and legs mostly straight, move your chest down toward the floor by hinging at your hips. 

• Squeeze your butt muscles as you lift your chest away from the floor and return to standing. 

Get more information on how to do a hip hinge.

Like the hip hinge, the kickstand RDL is a functional exercise. “It really targets the muscles of the lower back that you use when lowering down to, say, tie your shoe,” says Dr. Stewart.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet in a staggered stance and your hands at your sides. 

• Your front foot should be flat on the floor holding most of your weight, and your back foot should be resting lightly on your toes to help you balance. 

• Lower your chest and hands toward the floor by hinging at your hips while you keep your back mostly straight. 

• Keep most of your weight in your front foot.

• Squeeze your glutes to lift your chest up as you continue to keep most of your weight on your front foot. 

This exercise targets the muscles that stabilize each side of your upper back, including the rhomboids and rear deltoids. These help with your posture and shoulder stability. Strengthening these muscles helps alleviate back pain by reducing tension and helping you find comfortable positions throughout the day, whether you’re sitting, standing, or walking. 

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your arms extended in front of you at chest height, holding a band in both hands with a bit of slack in the band, palms facing down. 

• Keep your arms straight as you open your arms out to the sides. 

• Make sure to keep your arms at chest height, and avoid letting your shoulders lift toward your ears.

The pallof press challenges your upper back muscles and obliques, which you need to maintain a strong position throughout the day. “It’s an upright version of the bird dog,” says Dr. Stewart. “Your back position doesn’t change, but it requires your upper back muscles to kick in to provide stability.”

How to do it:

• Start by securing a resistance band by opening a door, wrapping the band around the handle on the other side, then closing the door.  

• With the ends of the band in each hand, turn so the door is at your side and take a few side steps away. Hold the band in front of your belly. 

• Straighten your arms out in front of you by moving your hands directly away from your belly, without letting the band pull your hands toward the door. 

• Make sure to engage your abdominal muscles to keep your torso steady. 

• Move your hands back to your belly. 

Get more information on how to do a pallof press.

You might think of a squat as primarily a lower body exercise, but it works all your core muscles, including your abdominals, obliques, and lower back. “They’re all engaged to stabilize your torso during a squat and give you the stability and balance you need when you do everyday activities, like getting up out of a chair, stepping off a curb, or going up stairs,” points out Dr. Stewart.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet comfortably apart.

• Keeping most of your weight in your heels, reach your hips back while bending your knees like you’re sitting in a chair. 

• Hold this squat position while you focus on squeezing your thigh and hip muscles. 

• Push through your feet to straighten your knees and return to a standing position.  

Get more information on how to do squats. 

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

Importance of Back Strengthening Exercises

A strong back keeps you healthy, stable, and confident when you move, whether you’re walking, running, getting out of a chair, or reaching for something on a high shelf. When you do these activities and you experience pain, it could mean that your back isn’t properly strengthened or prepared. That’s why prioritizing back strengthening exercises is important for everyone and can have added benefits that include: 

• Improved posture. There’s no such thing as perfect posture, but a strong back can help you stand and sit in a way that helps keep your body comfortable. 

• Better balance. The stronger your back muscles are, the better your balance will be — and the less risk you have of falling and injuring yourself doing everyday activities, points out Dr. Stewart. A 2023 study published in the International Journal of Sport Physical Therapy found that exercises that help strengthen your lower back also improve balance in people with chronic lower back pain.

• Less lower back stiffness. “A lot of times, when your back is stiff, or hurts, it stems from muscle imbalances in your back muscles,” says Dr. Stewart. Your back muscles may compensate for weakness by tightening up, which, in turn, can make you more susceptible to injury.

• Reduced pain. A review of 23 studies in JAMA Internal Medicine found that back strengthening exercises can help to treat and prevent back pain.

If you have trouble starting a back strengthening program on your own, you may want to consider physical therapy. A physical therapist (PT) can work with you on safe exercises that can help strengthen your back and reduce pain. You can see a physical therapist in person or use a program like Hinge Health to access a PT via telehealth/video visit.

How Hinge Health Can Help You

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program. 

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, when and where it works for you. 

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you.

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References 

1. Cho, H., Kim, E., & Kim, J. (2014). Effects of the CORE Exercise Program on Pain and Active Range of Motion in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. doi:10.1589/jpts.26.1237

2. Alshehre, Y. M., Alkhathami, K., Brizzolara, K., Weber, M., & Wang-Price, S. (2023). Effectiveness of Spinal Stabilization Exercises on Dynamic Balance in Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 18(1). doi:10.26603/001c.68075

3. Chronic Back Pain. (n.d.). Health Policy Institute. https://hpi.georgetown.edu/backpain/

4. Park, D. K. (2022, February). Spine Conditioning Program . OrthoInfo - AAOS. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/recovery/spine-conditioning-program/

5. Steffens, D., Maher, C. G., Pereira, L. S. M., Stevens, M. L., Oliveira, V. C., Chapple, M., Teixeira-Salmela, L. F., & Hancock, M. J. (2016). Prevention of Low Back Pain. JAMA Internal Medicine, 176(2), 199. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.7431