5 Back Exercises for People Who Can’t Get to the Gym

Back exercises are a crucial part of our workout routine since we spend a prolonged period of time sitting on a chair or a couch. Most of our daily movements tend to engage the back muscles in one way or another, which makes taking care of your back health extremely crucial.

If, for any reason, you cannot get to the gym, there are various back exercises that you can adopt to improve your back health that you can easily do at home. These back exercises will also help in strengthening your back and reducing the probability of back injuries and pain. Regularly doing back exercises will also help in improving your range of motion as well as enhancing your everyday movements.

Here, we have created a list of simple and effective back exercises that people can include into their workout routine, especially those who can’t get to the gym.

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Best Back Exercises for People Who Can’t Get to the Gym

1. Superman Exercise

Superman is amongst the best back exercises that can be incorporated into your routine to build greater strength in your lower back without any equipment.

Here's how to do this exercise:

• Begin in a face-down laying position on the ground with your hands stretched over your head and legs extended to the back.
• With your glutes and core engaged, simultaneously raise both your lower and upper body off the ground as much as you can and hold on.
• Make sure not to strain your back or neck muscles.
• Bring your body back to its initial position in a controlled manner. Repeat.

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2. Plank

Plank is mostly considered to build core strength. However, this exercise is quite an efficient full-body exercise. Planks will effectively engage your erector spinae and will also help in improving the overall posture of the body.

Here's how to do this exercise:

• Bring your body into the plank position with your forearms and elbows pressing on the ground.
• Your legs should be extended behind your back while balancing on your toes.
• Make sure that your body weight is evenly distributed with your core region engaged.
• Hold before releasing. Repeat.

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3. Resistance Band Pull-Apart

Resistance band pull-apart is a simple yet incredibly effective back exercise that will engage your trapezius, rear deltoids, and rhomboids. It will also help in building greater stability around your shoulder muscles.

Here's how to do this exercise:

• Start this exercise in a straight standing position with your feet a little bit apart.
• Clutch the resistance band in both your palms.
• Hold it taut with your arms straightened and band angled parallel to the ground.
• Next, with your spine neutral, bring the band closer to your chest by pulling the band with your arms moving to the sides.
• With control, bring your body back to the initial position and repeat.

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4. Hollow Hold

Hollow hold is also a great efficient back exercise for people who can’t get to the gym as it will engage your erector spinae, hip flexors, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques, and quads.

Here's how to do this exercise:

• Begin in a laying down position on the ground on your back with your hands positioned at the sides and legs straightened to the front.
• With your abdominals contracted and lower back pressed onto the ground, simultaneously raise your legs and shoulders and head off the floor about two inches.
• Hold before gently lowering the body back to the floor.

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5. Bird Dog

Bird dogs are also amongst the simple back exercises which will relieve the lower back pain along with building a good posture and balance of the body. This exercise will also help in improving mobility of the body as well as unilaterally targeting your limbs.

Here's how to do this exercise:

• Bring your body onto all fours, which is both your palms and knees.
• Keep a proper alignment of your body with a neutral spine.
• Straighten one of your arms to the front while extending your opposite leg to the back.
• Swap sides and repeat.

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Bottom Line

The back exercises listed above are some of the best and simple ones, especially for people who can’t get to the gym or don't want to lift weights. The common advantages of these back exercises include increased strength in the upper body, greater range of motion, and better functional movement throughout the day.

The aforementioned back exercises tend to involve simple movements and can be easily done by beginners or people suffering from any back injury. However, in the latter case, it is recommended to consult a medical professional beforehand.