Back exercises from yoga to build a stronger spine

The back is held up by layers of muscle: the long muscles beside the spine, the deep stabilisers that span each vertebra, the muscles between the shoulder blades and, below, the glutes. Back stretches loosen them. Back exercises ask them to work, so they share the load when you sit, carry and bend.

The eight moves below come from yoga and use only your bodyweight. They are slow, low and gentle by design. This page is about building strength in a back that feels well or just a little stiff, not a plan for a back that hurts.

When should you see a doctor before back exercises?

See a doctor or physiotherapist first, and do not start these exercises, if your back pain:

• began after a fall, an accident or a heavy lift;
• spreads into a leg, or comes with tingling, numbness or weakness;
• comes with numbness around the groin or buttocks, or a change in bladder or bowel control (get urgent help);
• comes with a fever, weight loss you cannot explain, or pain that is worse at night;
• follows a diagnosis such as a disc problem or a spinal fracture, unless you have been cleared for exercise.

The page on yoga and back pain explains more about moving with care. A dull sense of effort is expected; sharp pain, pinching or anything that travels down a leg means stop.

How do you do back exercises safely at home?

Move slowly. Breathe out on the effort, in as you release, and rest a few breaths between exercises.

1. Pelvic tilts. Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat. Breathing out, gently press the lower back towards the floor; breathing in, let it return to its natural curve. Ten small, easy reps to warm up.
2. Bridge lifts. From the same position, feet hip width, breathe out and lift the hips a little, then breathe in and lower one vertebra at a time. Eight reps. Bridge Pose shows how to keep the knees in line with the feet.
3. Bird dog holds. In Table Top Pose, reach the right arm forward and the left leg back, no higher than the hips. Hold for three slow breaths, then switch. Six holds each side.
4. Baby cobra hovers. Lie on your front, hands under the shoulders. Breathing in, lift the chest a few centimetres using the back muscles, then hover the hands just off the floor. Breathe out and lower. Six reps. Cobra Pose explains why a low lift is kinder to the lower back.
5. Locust with bent arms. Still on your front, bend the elbows into a W shape beside the ribs. Breathing in, lift the chest and arms and draw the shoulder blades towards each other; breathing out, lower. Eight reps, gaze down at the mat.
6. Swimming locust. With the arms reaching forward, lift the right arm and left leg a little, lower, then the other pair. Eight reps in total. The Locust Pose page has more on keeping the lift small and the neck long.
7. Flat back hinge. Stand with the feet hip width and the knees soft, hands on the thighs. Breathing out, fold forward from the hips with a long, flat back until the chest is about halfway to level; breathing in, stand back up. Eight reps. It is the halfway lift from Standing Forward Bend.
8. Knee down side plank. Lie on your right side, propped on the forearm with both knees bent. Lift the hips so the body forms a line from knees to head. Hold for three breaths, lower, and repeat three times each side. Side Plank has the full version for later.

Finish lying on your back with both knees hugged in, rocking gently side to side for eight breaths.

Common mistakes

• Lifting too high. In cobra and locust, height is not the goal. A small lift with a long neck works the back without pinching it.
• Swinging the leg in bird dog. Keep the hips level and the movement slow.
• Rounding in the hinge. If the back rounds, bend the knees more and fold less.
• Holding the breath. Breathe steadily; if you cannot, make the move smaller.

Make it easier or harder

• Easier: keep the hands on the floor in baby cobra; lift only an arm or only a leg in bird dog and swimming locust; do fewer reps with longer rests.
• Harder: hold the top of each bridge for three breaths; add a three breath hold at the top of locust; straighten the legs in side plank; do two rounds of the set. For more ways to hold the trunk steady, try the plank variations with holds and breath.

Where do back exercises fit in a week?

Two or three sessions a week, on non consecutive days, suits most people. On the days in between, the back stretches for everyday stiffness keep the spine moving, and the lower back stretches done lying down are a gentle finish after a long day. If the stiffness sits between the shoulder blades, add the upper back stretches for screen days. When the mid back feels stuck rather than weak, add the thoracic spine mobility routine.