It is important to have strong muscles of the back to rule out the possibility of various debilitating conditions such as back pain and sciatica. Exercise for a strong back help stabilise your spine when you sit or stand upright and move around.
One can choose from various exercises to build a healthy and strong upper back. Listed below are the 5 exercises that will help you to strengthen upper back muscles.
1. Back Extensions
Back extensions help strengthen erector spine and back muscles that support extending of your spine. Lie down your face on a flat bench with your upper body hanging off and your legs straight. Contract the abs throughout the exercise. Lift your back a few inches off the bench and slowly lower it back down. Repeat for your desired number of repetitions.
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2. The Corkscrew
The stretching exercise helps loosen every muscle of your back. Sit on your knees with your hands on the floor. Place your right hand behind your head. Rotate your right shoulder and elbow up and away from your left arm, hold it there for two seconds before returning to the initial position. Switch arms and do 20 repetitions.
3. Bent-over Rows
The exercise works on the upper back muscles that draw your shoulders backwards. It can be performed with a barbell or dumb-bell. Hold weights in the under-hand grip and stand upright. Lean forward until your upper body becomes parallel to the ground and extend your arms below your chest. Lift the weight to the bottom of your chest and slowly take it back down.
4. Seated Rows
Seated rows work on the traps of your upper back along with the muscles that extend your lower back. The exercise can be performed on a machine with a handlebar attached to a stack of weights. Sit on the floor and lean forward to hold the handlebar with both hands. Extend your back slowly and build momentum to pull the handlebar to your belly. Get back to the starting position and repeat the exercise.
5. The Big Row
This exercise works on the middle back muscles and the shoulders. While holding light-weight dumbbells in your hands, bend at your knees and hips. Lower the torso until it becomes parallel to the floor. Let the weights hang down and pull your shoulders back and hold for a second. Thereafter, lift dumb-bells to the sides of your torso while squeezing your shoulder blades towards your spine. Do at least 20 repetitions.
The back is often overlooked and is under trained. People don’t bother to put in effort for back building as they do for arms and chest. Include the above mentioned exercises in workout schedule, to make your back stronger and prevent spine issues.
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