Back exercises in 15 minutes a day (2024)

Back exercises in 15 minutes a day

Back pain is a common problem that many people deal with every day. Exercise often helps to ease back pain and prevent further discomfort. The following exercises stretch and strengthen the back and the muscles that support it.

When you first start, repeat each exercise a few times. Then increase the number of times you do an exercise as it gets easier for you. If you're beginning an exercise program due to ongoing back pain or after a back injury, talk to a physical therapist or another member of your health care team about activities that are safe for you.

Knee-to-chest stretch

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor (A). Using both hands, pull up one knee and press it toward your chest (B). Tighten the muscles in your belly and press your spine to the floor. Hold for five seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg (C). Go back to the starting position. Then repeat with both legs at the same time (D). Repeat each stretch 2 to 3 times. Do the full routine once in the morning and once in the evening if possible.

Back exercises in 15 minutes a day (1)

Lower back rotational stretch

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor (A). Keep your shoulders firmly on the floor, and slowly roll your bent knees to one side (B). Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Slowly go back to the starting position (C). Repeat on the other side (D). Repeat each stretch 2 to 3 times. Do the full routine once in the morning and once in the evening if possible.

Back exercises in 15 minutes a day (2)

Lower back flexibility exercise

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor (A). Tighten the muscles in your belly so that your lower back pulls up, away from the floor (B). Hold for five seconds and then relax. Flatten your back, pulling your bellybutton toward the floor (C). Hold for five seconds and then relax. Repeat. Start with five repetitions a day and slowly work up to 30.

Back exercises in 15 minutes a day (3)

Bridge exercise

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor (A). Keep your shoulders and head relaxed on the floor and tighten the muscles in your belly and buttocks. Then raise your hips to form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders (B). Try to stay that way long enough to take three deep breaths. Go back to where you started and repeat. Begin by doing five repetitions a day and slowly work up to 30.

Back exercises in 15 minutes a day (4)

Cat stretch

Kneel on your knees and hands (A). Slowly arch your back, as if you're pulling your belly up toward the ceiling as you bring your head down (B). Then slowly let your back and belly sag toward the floor as you bring your head up (C). Go back to where you started (A). Repeat 3 to 5 times twice a day.

Back exercises in 15 minutes a day (5)

Seated lower back rotational stretch

Sit on an armless chair or on a stool. Cross your right leg over your left leg. Bracing your left elbow against the outside of your right knee, twist and stretch to the side (A). Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side (B). Do this stretch 3 to 5 times on each side twice a day.

Back exercises in 15 minutes a day (6)

Shoulder blade squeeze

Sit on an armless chair or on a stool (A). While sitting up straight, pull your shoulder blades together (B). Hold for five seconds and then relax. Do this 3 to 5 times twice a day.

Back exercises in 15 minutes a day (7)

Aug. 15, 2023

  1. Hartigan C. Exercise-based therapy for low back pain. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 19, 2023.
  2. Spine conditioning program. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/recovery/spine-conditioning-program/. Accessed April 19, 2023.
  3. Bydon M. Physical therapy. In: Back and Neck Health. Mayo Clinic Press; 2021.
  4. Dutton M. Lumbar spine. In: Dutton's Orthopaedic Examination, Evaluation, and Intervention. 6th ed. McGraw Hill; 2022. https://accessphysiotherapy.mhmedical.com. Accessed April 24, 2023.

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Back exercises in 15 minutes a day (2024)

FAQs

How many times a day should I do back exercises? ›

When you lift weights and do back exercises to improve daily function, enhance muscle tone and create a leaner look, aim for two to three workouts that focus on your back weekly. Leave at least 48 hours between back training sessions; you get results when your muscle fibers have a chance to recover and repair.

What happens if I workout my back everyday? ›

Is it OK to train back everyday? You shouldn't train the back everyday. Instead, it's best to train the back 1-2 times per week because the muscle fibres need 1-2 days of rest between sessions to get maximum potential for muscle growth.

How much time should I train back? ›

How Much Should You Train? Like all muscles in your body, you can perform back exercises up to three non-consecutive days a week. If you're lifting heavy weights—enough that you can only complete six to eight repetitions—you'll need two or more days of rest before you perform the exercise again.

Is 2 exercises enough for the back? ›

To keep workouts from getting too long, or too overly fatiguing, you could do 1-2 exercises per major muscle group (quads, hamstrings, chest, back, shoulders) per workout (2-10 different exercises per muscle group per program).

How often should I do back strengthening exercises? ›

It's better to do small amounts throughout the day. For example, practise your repetitions every hour. As this gets easier, and if you feel able to, add 1 or 2 repetitions to your movements every few days. As you become able to do more repetitions, it can be helpful to break things up into sets.

Do back exercises burn back fat? ›

To get rid of fat deposits on your back, you'll need to start by creating a caloric deficit. That means that you'll need to burn more calories than you consume. In addition to cutting calories, you can tone your back muscles if you focus your exercise routine to target the muscles in your upper and lower back.

What happens if you train back too much? ›

Overexercising can have significant effects on mood and energy levels. According to NASM, the fatigue and low energy associated with overexercising can cause irritation, anger, problems with sleep, problems with school or work, and lack of enjoyment of your typical interests and hobbies.

Do back workouts burn fat? ›

Effective exercises for reducing back fat include compound movements such as Barbell Deadlifts, Bent-Over Rows, and Pull-Ups. Peripheral Heart Action Training (PHAT) focuses on a sequence of compound exercises rotating around the body and this can also be extremely beneficial.

Is there one exercise that works the whole back? ›

Heavy compound movements like the Barbell Deadlift can be done with heavier weights to boost your overall back growth and development using progressive overload. The Barbell Deadlift is a full-body movement that hits the traps, the lats and the lower back all in one single compound exercise using heavy loads.

Is walking or biking better for back pain? ›

If you experience pain when you're doing weight-bearing activities, such as walking, cycling may offer a more tolerable way to exercise.

Is a 20 minute workout enough? ›

Is 20 Minutes a Day Better Than Nothing? The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that adults should accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity 5 days per week OR engage in 20-minutes of vigorous activity 3 days per week.

What order to do back exercises? ›

Separate Upper and Lower Back Exercises. What I mean by this concept is that when training the back you should start your workout focusing on the upper portion of your back (trapezius & latissimus dorsi), then moving on to the lower part of your back.

What two body parts to workout together? ›

There's no right or wrong answer when deciding the best muscle group combinations to work out together. Some popular combinations include chest and back, arms and shoulders, and glutes and abdominals. But really, you can pair whatever suits you, as long as it makes sense.

How many back exercises per week? ›

Barring any specific goals or muscle imbalances, the average person should ideally train each muscle group twice per week for maximum results, with one to two exercises per muscle group during each workout session.

Is 3 sets of 10 enough to build muscle? ›

Are 3 sets of exercises enough for building muscle? Building muscle, or hypertrophy, requires a greater training volume than just three sets. If you have some training experience and you are looking to build muscle, you would do 3 to 6 sets of each exercise and you would aim for two exercises per body part.

How often should I workout my lower back? ›

It's best not to train lower back everyday because these muscles need time to recover and grow between effective workouts. Instead, focus on weight training the lower back 2-3 times per week, always starting with a dynamic warm-up. Start with lighter weight before you progress to heavy weight.

How many sets of back exercises should I do a week? ›

Since the back is quite a complex muscle group, you should be performing 12–24 sets per week with 3–12 sets per session. This means that you would be training it 2–4x/week. Then, include 4–6 different exercises per mesocycle of that complexity of the back. And, of course, full range of motion on all exercises.

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