Exercises For Your Back

As we grow older, there's a good chance we will experience back problems. The most annoying part is that we cannot do as much about about it when we already have it. However, preventing these back problems from happening can be easy. All you have to do is to train your back muscles to be stronger. A weak back may cause you to have bad posture when you age. As early as now, you should have at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, and in that exercise you should include exercises for your back.

One Armed Rows. This exercise requires that you have a dumbbell at home. To do this, you need to bend forward until your upper torso is parallel to the floor. Your abs and knees should also be slightly bent. Extend your arms downwards while holding the dumbbells. Do not lock your elbows. Slowly bend your elbows and pull the weights up until your mid-arm is in line with your shoulders. Lower the dumbbells back to the original position and repeat the procedure. You can do 1 - 3 sets of 16 reps per set of this routine.

Reverse Fly. This exercise targets the posture muscles of your back. However, you should only use light weights to avoid straining your joints. Assume a comfortable sitting position and hold a pair of light-weight dumbbells. Keep your arms hanging down and beside your knees. Lift the dumbbells slowly until your arms are parallel to the floor. Keep your elbows slightly bent and do not let it go beyond your shoulders. Lower the dumbbells to the starting position and repeat as tolerated.

Prone Back Extension. While the above exercises works out the muscles of the upper back, back extension exercises target the lower back muscles. To do this, lie on a mat in a prone position and place your hands behind your head. Keep your abdominal muscles contracted while doing this exercise. Lift your head and feet off the floor using your back muscle strength. Do not use your neck's strength because it may only strain your neck muscles. Lower them slowly and repeat the steps as you desire.

If you do not have home fitness equipment at such as dumbbells, you may get them at a home fitness equipment retail store. You can also add exercise balls and an exercise bench so you can have more variety in doing your back exercises. You need to remember that having a healthy back at an early age will surely do you good when you reach your 40s or 50s. When we grow old, there are many factors that will lead you to have bad posture, such as calcium deficiency or joint degeneration. However, starting early in exercising your back will surely help.