Life in the 21st century is not back-friendly. And I can support this remark with my experience. Being a content creator for 7bestthings.com, I have to sit for hours and hours coming up with new ideas, creating content strategies, keyword research, and much more. And as I do not have time for the gym, I became curious about bodyweight back exercises.
Sitting for longer hours directly damages your banks and invites spinal cord problems. In fact, if you will ask any American, you will find that back pain is one of the common issues for all.
I have heard most people saying that their back pain seems to never leave even after daily exercises. Well, this is because you might be doing exercises, but not the exercises that are meant for your back.
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Why Is A Strong Back Important?
If we leave apart the gut, the back is the second largest part of the body that supports your spine and upper body. Hence, it is important that you have a strong upper body.
Back plays an important role and helps you do whatever activity you are doing. For instance, if you are lifting something, you will need help from your lower back. If you are not taking help from your lower back, you will find it hard to lift lighters of weights.
This is why keeping your back strong will eventually make you strong. With that being said, I have come up with this article where I will discuss seven different bodyweight back exercises.
7 Bodyweight Back Exercises
Most people have the misconception that training your back is all about lifting heavyweight. No, that is not the correct way to encapsulate back exercises. There are several back exercises that can be done without weights and have the same impact on your body.
Given below are the top bodyweight back exercises.
1. Low Planks
For low planks, lie down with your stomach touching the ground. Now pull yourself up in a position where your palm and elbows are touching the ground. At the same time, lift yourself with the help of your toes. Once you complete this posture, your body will be parallelly lifted from the ground with your elbows and toes touching the ground.
Now lift your thigh and hips parallel to the ground. The main purpose of this exercise is to keep the whole body straight. Hold this posture for 30 seconds and relax. Continue ten reps.
2. High Planks
High planks are similar to low planks. The only difference is that this time you lift yourself to a height of your arm length. Start by getting on your four limbs. Now start with lowering your knee enough that it touches the ground. This will tuck your pelvis and back sag.
Now extend your leg from the toes and return to the position you started. Hold this position for 30 seconds and then repeat. Remember that while doing this exercise, you will keep your core region activated. That is the whole point of bodyweight back exercises.
3. Superman
Just as the name implies, you have behaved like you are a superman flying around. No kidding! Lie flat on the floor with your stomach on the ground. Extend your hand in front of your palm facing downward.
Now slowly, try to lift your leg and hand in an upward direction. Or simply try to form an arc. The arc is completed when your chest and knee don’t touch the ground.Â
As you extend your limbs, if you find the tension unbearable, bend your knees and elbow to ease the tension. Repeat this at least 20 times.
4. Reversed Snow Angel
No, you do not have to head outside to do this exercise. To get started, lie on the floor in the same you have done for superman. But this time, put your hand sideways close to your body, palm facing your thighs.
Now lift your upper body and legs in the same way you did in superman. Remember to keep your body straight. Lock yourself to that position for 30 seconds and then return to the relaxing position.
As you perform this exercise in repetition, you will feel that your back and guts are getting activated.Â
5. Alternate Limb Raise
This is one of the advanced bodyweight back exercises. To start with, get on the floor on your four limbs. Keeping your hands directly under your shoulders, come to your knees. Once you have formed a posture where ensure that your body is in one line.
Keeping your back as straight as possible, try lifting your right hand and left leg. Make them as straight as possible. Once you have straightened your right hand and left leg, hold the position for 20 seconds and then slowly fall back to the original position.
Now do the same thing with your left hands and right leg. Keep repeating alternatively for 10 times.
6. The Bridge
You might remember this exercise from your gym classes when you were in grade 1. To begin with, this exercise starts with lying backside down, head resting on the floor, and arm resting flat on your sides.
Now start lifting your hips slowly towards the ceiling. Try to reach as high as possible. Once you have reached the top-most height, hold that position for 30 seconds. While holding that position, try squeezing your gut, butt, and back.
Lower your hip and repeat this exercise for a couple of reps. You will find that your back and gut have been activated. It is one of the bodyweight back exercises that can be done easily without prior experience.
7. The Stick Up
This simple bodyweight back exercise helps a lot more than you can imagine. To start with this exercise, you need to stand straight back against the wall, as if you have stuck with the wall.
Now stick your arms with the walls. Slowly move down your hand along the walls. You will feel the squeezing of your back. Repeat this exercise 20 times.
Conclusion
If you want to keep your back healthy, it is important that you do the right exercises that target your back. Here, I have enlisted my favorite bodyweight back exercises. I hope that you find this article helpful.
If there are other bodyweight back exercises you want to share with us, do share with us in the comments section. I am sure my readers will find that helpful.
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