7 Back Exercises You Can Do At Home

Many of the BBG Community say they spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer at work or hunched over a phone in their spare time. This may have a negative effect on your back!

While it is important to strengthen your WHOLE body, sometimes focusing on one area can help correct imbalances that result from a modern lifestyle.

Doing back exercises at home can help to alleviate any soreness, strengthen your back and core and help to prevent problems like postural kyphosis. 

The muscles in your back get used a lot to assist with everyday movement — particularly with pulling movements such as lifting groceries out of the car. This is why it’s so important to make sure your back is strong!

Best back exercises to do at home

Try these back exercises for yourself! You could do 10 reps of each of these back exercises for a full at-home back workout, or choose two to create a quick circuit. 

You can do these exercises with a bench, a set of dumbbells and a resistance band!

Bent over reverse fly

This exercise targets the back of your shoulders and upper back. It can help improve posture, especially if you’ve been hunched over a screen during the day. 

Make sure you maintain a strong core and straight back during the exercise. 

1. Holding one dumbbell in each hand, plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. Hinge forward from your hips so that your torso is parallel to the floor. Bend your knees slightly and extend your arms to hold the dumbbells directly below your chest. This is your starting position.
2. While maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells outwards and upwards from below your chest until they reach shoulder height. You should feel a small squeeze between your shoulder blades.
3. Gently lower the dumbbells to return to the starting position.
4. Repeat for 8-12 repetitions. 

Bent over row

This exercise primarily targets the rhomboids and lats. This is a “compound exercise” — an exercise that works multiple muscles in your body. 

Try to do 10 reps with a comfortable weight, keeping your core switched on and back straight.  

1. Holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing inwards), plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. While maintaining a slight bend in your knees, hinge forward from your hips so that your torso is parallel to the floor. Extend your arms directly below your chest. This is your starting position.
2. Bend your elbows to bring the dumbbells in towards your body, ensuring your elbows remain in close contact with the sides of your body. You should feel a small squeeze between your shoulder blades.
3. Extend your elbows to lower the dumbbells and return to the starting position.
4. Repeat for 8-12 repetitions. 

Push-up & row

This is an advanced exercise to strengthen your upper back, your arms and core. 

If you haven’t mastered the push-up yet, use push-up progressions to work up to this advanced exercise. 

1. Holding one dumbbell in each hand, position your hands shoulder-width apart with both feet behind you hip-width apart, resting on the balls of your feet. This is your starting position.
2. While maintaining a straight back and stabilising through your abdominals, bend your elbows and lower your torso towards the floor until your arms form two 90-degree angles.
3. Push through your chest and extend your arms to lift your body back into starting position.
4. Release your right hand and bend your elbow to draw the dumbbell in towards you, ensuring that your elbow remains in close contact with the right side of your body. You should feel a small squeeze between your shoulder blades. Brace your abdominals to ensure that your hips remain parallel to (in line with) the floor.
5. Extend your right elbow to return to the starting position/
6. While maintaining a straight back and stabilising through your abdominals, bend your elbows and lower your torso towards the floor until your arms form two 90-degree angles.
7. Push through your chest and extend your arms to lift your body back into starting position.
8. Release your left hand and bend your elbow to draw the dumbbell in towards you, ensuring that your elbow remains in close contact with the left side of your body. You should feel a small squeeze between your shoulder blades. Brace your abdominals to ensure that your hips remain parallel to (in line with) the floor.
9. Extend your left elbow to return to the starting position.
10. Repeat for 8-12 reps. 

Seated row

This exercise strengthens your back, focusing on the lats while also working your arms and shoulders. 

1. While seated on a yoga mat, extend both legs out in front of you with your feet flexed. Wrap the recovery band around the bottom of your feet so that you are holding one end of the band in each hand.
   Ensure that the recovery band is in good condition and securely anchored around your feet to avoid injury. You could also press your feet against a sturdy object to help keep the band in place.
   Sit up tall and draw your shoulder blades down and back to push your chest out. Extend your arms in front of you so that you are holding the ends of the band with a neutral grip (palms facing inwards). This is your starting position.
2. Using the muscles in both your arms and back, bend your elbows backwards to increase the tension in the band, ensuring that your elbows remain in close contact with the sides of your body. You should feel a small squeeze between your shoulder blades.
3. Extend your elbows to return to the starting position.
4. Repeat for 8-12 repetitions. 

Single arm row

This exercise strengthens your upper arms and anterior core. 

If you don’t have a bench you can substitute a box or chair instead. 

1. Place a bench in front of you.
   Holding a dumbbell in your right hand, place your left hand and left knee on the bench. Reposition your right foot to ensure that both your shoulders and hips are parallel to (in line with) the floor. Extend your right arm directly below your chest. This is your starting position.
2. Bend your right elbow to bring the dumbbell in towards your body, ensuring that your elbow remains in close contact with the right side of your body.
3. Extend your right elbow to return to the starting position.
4. Repeat for 8-12 repetitions on each side.

Upright row

This exercise targets your upper back, in particular, the deltoids. 

You raise and lower both arms at the same time, so this exercise can help to correct any asymmetry between your right and left sides. 

1. Hold a kettlebell with both hands in an overhand grip (palms facing down) and plant both feet on the floor slightly further than shoulder-width apart. With arms extended, hold the kettlebell directly in front of your body. This is your starting position.
2. Using the muscles in both your shoulders and arms, bend your elbows outwards and upwards to bring the kettlebell up to your chest. Avoid “shrugging” your shoulders by drawing your shoulder blades down and back.
3. Extend your elbows to return to the starting position.
4. Repeat for 8-12 repetitions. 

Front raise

This exercise targets the shoulders and deltoids. You’ll also stabilize your core to provide support. 

1. Holding one dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip (palms facing towards your body) in front of your legs, plant both feet on the floor slightly further than shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.
2. While maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, gently raise the dumbbells forward and up to chin height.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells to return to the starting position.
4. Repeat for 8-12 repetitions. 

Try these back exercises at home and improve your posture!

Whether you choose to do back exercises in the gym or at home, having a stronger back can help you to stand straighter and be more resilient during your everyday activities like lifting a child or getting groceries out of the car. 

Strengthening and stretching your back can also help to reduce your risk of back pain or injury. 

Doing ab workouts for a strong core is also important for maintaining good posture. 

Remember that any good exercise routine has a variety of exercises targeting all the major muscle groups, rather than just one area