12 Back Strengthening Exercises for Seniors Recommended by Physical Therapists

Back health is important during every stage of life. But it becomes even more important as you age. 

Your spine is supported by many muscles in your back — big and small — that work together to allow you to walk, sit, stand, and maintain your balance. These muscles are involved in every movement you make during your day. They are naturally strong and resilient, but doing targeted strengthening exercises helps ensure they continue to provide support as you get older. 

That’s why Hinge Health physical therapists recommend regular back strengthening exercises for seniors. Whether you have back pain or just want to stay active and independent, these exercises will help you keep your back strong and healthy. 

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

Back Strengthening Exercises for Seniors 

The following exercises recommended by Hinge Health physical therapists are safe, effective, and can be done at home. 

Before you get started, keep this tip in mind: “If you’re doing strengthening exercises and you notice soreness afterward, know that that’s okay,” says Dorian Logan, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. “All of these exercises are safe, even if you have a history of back pain or back injuries. If needed, there are plenty of ways we can tailor these moves so they’re the right intensity for you.” 

If you have questions or want more tailored recommendations, reach out to a physical therapist. You can see a physical therapist in person or use a program like Hinge Health to access a PT via telehealth/video visit.

Easier Exercises to Start With

This exercise is beneficial for upper back strengthening. “It’s a particularly good exercise for those who are new to back strengthening exercises,” says Dr. Logan. It targets multiple back muscles in a controlled manner, helping to build foundational strength without being too challenging.

How to do it: 

• Secure the middle of a resistance band around the bottom of one or both feet and hold the ends of the band in each hand.

• Extend your legs so there’s tension in the band and extend your arms toward your feet. 

• Bring your hands to the side of your ribcage by bending your elbows and pulling the band toward you.

• Extend your arms again to return to the starting position.

“This is the simpler version of a standard hip hinge, but you can progress it whenever you’re ready,” says Dr. Logan. This move helps you do activities that involve moving your body forward and backward, like bending over to pick something up from the ground. “It improves the strength you need to return to an upright, vertical position. This is good for improving stability and staying safe,” she adds.  

How to do it: 

• Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. 

• Move your chest slightly down toward the floor by hinging at your hips. 

• Hold this position, then return to standing. 

• PT Tip: Keep your back and legs mostly straight during the movement to better engage your muscles.

“We often think moving the back is limited to forward and backward motions, but we move our backs in all directions,” says Dr. Logan. “This exercise helps with rotational movements so you can do things like look over your shoulder if someone calls your name.” 

How to do it: 

• Stand with your forearms on a wall at about head height, and your feet a few steps away from the wall. 

• Lift your left forearm off the wall and rotate your forearm, shoulders, and head toward the left. 

• Move back to the starting position, then lift your right forearm off the wall and rotate your forearm, shoulders, and head toward the right. 

• Return to the starting position. 

• PT Tip: When your forearm is lifted off the wall, keep your core tight and focus on not letting your hips dip toward the wall.

The abdominal bracing part of this exercise is great for core strengthening. “But the leg extension is an important component because it strengthens your hips and glutes. And your hips are an important neighbor to your back,” says Dr. Logan. By strengthening your hips and glutes, you can help alleviate some load and strain from your back during daily activities like walking and lifting.

How to do it: 

• Lie on your stomach and tighten your abdominal muscles while inhaling and exhaling comfortably. 

• Lift one of your legs off the floor and up toward the ceiling as you squeeze your butt muscles. Keep your abdominal muscles engaged while you hold this position. 

• Slowly lower your leg back to the floor and relax your abdominal muscles. 

• Repeat on your opposite side, and then relax back to the starting position.

“This exercise gives you a lot of bang for your buck,” says Dr. Logan. It improves hip strength as well as core strength. “There are just so many benefits in this one exercise.” 

If this exercise is challenging for you at first, know that you don’t have to lift your hips very high. “Just start by squeezing your glutes and envision lifting your hips just high enough to slide a piece of paper under you,” recommends Dr. Logan. “Simply squeezing your glutes and moving your hips off the floor provides a lot of benefits. The more you do, the higher you’ll be able to bridge.” 

How to do it: 

1. Lie comfortably on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. 

2. Push through your feet to raise your hips off the floor.

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

4. Relax your hips back to the floor.

Get more information on how to do a bridge.

This is a simple way to work up to a standard downward dog exercise. “Pressing against a stool or stair is a really good way to train your upper back muscles — and your upper body in general,” says Dr. Logan. 

How to do it: 

• Start on your knees with an elevated surface, like a stool, positioned in front of you. 

• Place your hands and arms straight on the elevated surface. 

• Lift your knees off the floor to straighten your legs as you bring your hips back and up toward the ceiling. 

• At the same time, move your chest down toward the floor and bring your head between your arms. 

• Relax your knees back to the mat and return to the starting position. 

• PT Tip: Feel free to have a slight bend in your knees if needed.

More Challenging Exercises to Advance To

This exercise targets the muscles across your upper and mid-back, and also activates your lower back muscles. “Because it requires you to maintain a forward bent position, you have to resist gravity,” says Dr. Logan. “That’s really good for back strengthening.” 

How to do it:

• Start standing, then hinge at your hips to bend your chest 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 the sides into a “T,” squeezing your shoulder blades together.  

• Relax to the starting position.

This requires you to brace your core while you do the exercise, which builds core strength. A strong core stabilizes your spine and helps reduce strain on your back muscles, both of which help in preventing and managing back pain. “Once you master engaging your core, you’ll also have more stability when you go to do things like lift a box or reach for something on a high shelf,” says Dr. Logan.   

How to do it: 

• Secure a resistance band by opening a door, wrapping the band around the handle, and then closing the door.  

• Take a few steps back from the door so the band has some tension and your arms are raised to about chest height. 

• Stretch the band by moving your hands toward the floor, stopping when you reach the sides of your legs. 

• Relax your arms up to the starting position. 

Get more information on how to do a straight-arm pulldown.

“This is a great exercise because you’re in a walking stance with your arms extended overhead. By having your arms raised, you engage your upper back muscles,” says Dr. Logan. At the same time, your lower back and core muscles are working hard to help you maintain your balance. “You can modify this move by raising one arm overhead and resting the other on a table for support,” says Dr. Logan. 

How to do it: 

• Start by standing with your feet a comfortable distance apart. 

• Take a big step forward and bend through your front knee to lower yourself toward the floor.   

• Reach your arms overhead to keep your chest upright. 

• Focus on your balance while you hold this position, then push through your foot to return to standing.

“I love this one because it challenges your balance while strengthening your upper and lower back and hips,” says Dr. Logan. If this move is challenging at first, work up to lifting your arm and leg simultaneously. “Start by lifting just one arm or one leg, and then try lifting an arm and leg at the same time.” 

How to do it: 

• Get into a comfortable position on your hands and knees, with your hands below your shoulders and your knees 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, then repeat on the opposite side. 

Get more information on how to do a bird dog.

This exercise helps improve back strength by engaging and stabilizing your core muscles, including your obliques and lower back, as you resist rotational forces. 

How to do it: 

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

• Hold the ends of the band in each hand and turn so the door is at your side. 

• Take a few side steps away and 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. 

• Move your hands back to your belly.

• PT Tip: Engage your abdominal muscles to keep your torso steady. 

Get more information on how to do a pallof press.

This is a good way to work on back strength, glute strength, and balance, says Dr. Logan. “You can use a counter or another surface for support to help ground you if you feel unstable. Even placing just a fingertip on a surface beside you is really effective in grounding you and giving you stability,” she says.  

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 as you focus on maintaining your balance. 

• Squeeze your glutes to lift your chest and return to standing.

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.

Benefits of Back Strengthening Exercises for Seniors

• Improved balance and stability. As we age, the discs between the bony segments of the spine can change, explains Dr. Logan. “This can make it more common to lean forward, which affects your center of gravity and can be a risk for falling. That is why these exercises are so important — they help you stay upright.” They also target core strength, which helps with balance. 

• Pain reduction. If you’re prone to an achy back, doing back strengthening exercises provides better support for your spine and reduces the strain on surrounding structures so you can move more with less pain. This also helps prevent injuries, such as sprains, strains, and fractures, which are more common in older adults due to decreased bone density and muscle mass. (That’s not to say you will definitely lose bone and muscle mass over time, but it is more common as people age.) 

• Improved bone health. Weight-bearing exercises, including those targeting the back, help maintain bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and related fractures. “All of the exercises above are weight-bearing and many are resistance-based exercises that help support your spine. This means they stimulate bone formation and increase bone density,” says Dr. Logan. 

• Better breathing. Strong back muscles support your chest and help maintain an open posture, facilitating easier and more efficient breathing.

• Increased independence. Strengthening your back can improve overall physical function, allowing you to maintain your independence by performing daily tasks with greater ease and less discomfort. “These exercises challenge you in a variety of positions which helps you maintain your balance during everyday activities. They also train your sense of steadiness — so you feel more stable when you stand up from a seated position,” explains Dr. Logan. 

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. Ishak, N. A., Zahari, Z., & Justine, M. (2016). Effectiveness of Strengthening Exercises for the Elderly with Low Back Pain to Improve Symptoms and Functions: A Systematic Review. Scientifica, 2016, 3230427. doi:10.1155/2016/3230427

2. Park, K. H., & Song, M. R. (2021). Comparative Analysis of Pain, Muscle Strength, Disability, and Quality of Life in Middle-Aged and Older Adults After Web Video Lower Back Exercise. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, Publish Ahead of Print, 40(3), 170–177. doi:10.1097/cin.0000000000000801

3. Smrcina, Z., Woelfel, S., & Burcal, C. (2022). A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Core Stability Exercises in Patients with Non-Specific Low Back Pain. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 17(5). doi:10.26603/001c.37251