5 Exercises to Build a Better Back

When most people start going to the gym, their focus is on a certain goal weight or body look. When it comes to looks, people we want to lose the belly fat, have toned muscles on the hands and legs. But have you ever thought of exercising your back? Very few people think about their backs when it comes to exercising.  

One reason that we don’t give much thought to our backs is the out of mind out of sight concept. We don’t get to look at our backs in the mirror like we would our flabby arms or tummies for instance. But the truth is, we need to work on our backs as much as any other part of our body. 

Let’s look at some exercises to help with that. 

     1. AIR SWIMS  

Lie flat on your stomach with your arms and legs as high as you can. In a swimming motion, lower your right leg and right arm and raise then raise them again. Alternate that motion with your left leg and left arm. Do ten on each side. 

This exercise is low impact and not only works on your upper and lower back but are a full body work out. Work on controlling your motion as jerking may cause you to injure yourself. 

     2. DUMBBELL PLANKS  

You are going to need two light dumbbells for this. Holding your dumbbells, lower yourself to the ground and hold a high plank. Lift your right hand up such that the dumbbell is near your waist while your left hand straight on the ground. Do not move the rest of your body. Repeat with your left hand and alternate them ten times. 

     3. DOWNWARD SHOULDER ROLLS

Get your dumbbells. You will start by standing upright holding your dumbbells. Roll your shoulders forward as you bend all the way down. If you can touch your toes, the better. Roll back up to beginning position and roll your shoulders back. As you go down try and make sure your chest and shoulder are as close to your hips as you possibly can. Repeat up to ten time

     4. BACK SWING BOWS 

Lay down flat on your stomach. Extend your arms forward making sure they are straight. Your legs should also be straight. Slowly lift your hands and legs simultaneously as high up as you can. As you do this, try and get your chest and get your chest and thighs as high off the ground as you can. Repeat up to ten times. 

This exercise uses your body weight to give you a toned upper and lower body. 

      5. CORE TWISTS

Start by sitting on your tailbone with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Keep your back straight at the tailbone angle and twist your upper body from side to side holding your elbows out. Do not move your lower body, keep it rooted on the spot. Repeat 15 times on either side. 

This exercise engages your whole core and is good for your lower back. 

BENEFITS OF A STRONG BACK

Our backs are our support system and they as any other part need to be strong to hold us up. But what other benefits can we derive from back exercises? 

• Balanced muscles  

Working out the front muscles alone can cause muscle discrepancies in the body. You from muscles are going to be strong and tight while your back muscles are not well-built. Whenever there are muscles in an area that are stronger than others, they tend to pull the weak muscles and you become more susceptible to injuries on the area with weaker muscles. 

• Good posture

Back exercises can help your back stay erect. Good posture is essential for your overall health. 

• Prevents back pain 

Back pain is an epidemic. 80% of all adults suffers from it during their lifetime. Proper back exercises strengthen the back and prevent back pain.