Stretch your Back Muscles With Yoga Poses

Back 

These back exercises primarily target your erector spinae muscles, which run the length of your spine. A good low back exercise also strengthens the glute muscles. These muscles stabilize your pelvis, which attaches to the lowest part of your spine. More advanced back exercises may also strengthen your abdominal and leg muscles.

In their quest to obtain a six-pack, many men and women train their abdominal muscles at length while ignoring the muscles of the low back. Although this may lead to a flat stomach, it can also lead to low back weakness and pain. Adding just a few low back exercises to your abdominal routine can strengthen your back, reduce low back pain and add some definition to your body.

Floor Exercises

You can do a number of very effective back exercises lying face-down on a mat. These include back extensions and supermans. When doing a back extension, you lift only your upper-body off the mat. Supermans involve lifting both your upper and lower-body off the mat, so your glute muscles are targeted more than they are when doing a simple back extension. 

The bird dog exercise is done by kneeling on a mat and alternately lifting your opposing arm and leg. Because the bird dog involves being off-balance, it also strengthens your abdominal muscles.

Stability Ball

Back extensions and bird dogs can also be done on a stability ball. Because the stability ball adds an element of balance to the exercise, they are slightly more difficult, but they have the added benefit of also using your abdominals. When first starting back extensions on the ball, place your feet against a wall for better balance. As your balance improves, you can move away from the wall to increase the difficulty.

Weights

You can perform deadlifts and good mornings with either dumbbells or a weighted bar. When first beginning these exercises, use a light weight so you don’t strain your back. Keep in mind that a standard bench press bar weighs 45 pounds, but many gyms keep lighter bars on hand. When doing either of these exercises, keep your back straight and your knees soft. Don’t be afraid to ask a trainer for help with form the first time you try them. These exercises will strengthen your leg muscles as well as your lower back and glutes.

Caution: If you have disk or other back issues consult your doctors before starting any new program.