5 Weight-Free Exercises for Your Back

Do you often feel pain or tension in your back? Are you not exercising this part of the body? Try these 5 weight-free exercises to strengthen your back and reduce tension.

Reviewed and approved by Doctor Carlos Fabián Avila.

Written by Carolina Betancourth

Last update: 10 October, 2022

Your back is a part of your body that you should exercise on a regular basis with these weight-free exercises. It’s made up of a series of muscles that are responsible for supporting your spine in every activity that you do.

Over time, this practice will improve your posture, reducing your risk of injury and ailments after you perform various tasks that require physical effort.

Best of all, you don’t need to use weights or gym machines to strengthen your back. There are certain exercises you can do without leaving your home that will significantly increase your strength and endurance.

Are you ready to try them? Discover the top five!

1-Floor lumbar extension

This practice tones your muscles from the top to the bottom, alleviating any pains and improving your posture.

How do you do it?

• Lie face down with your arms and legs stretched out.
• From this position, lift your arms and legs so that your back arches a little.
• Perform three sets of 10 repetitions each.
• Another variation of this exercise will also work your waist, and involves starting in the same position and alternating raising your limbs at a time.
• First, you should raise your right arm with your left leg, and then your left arm and right leg.

2- Swimming without water

We call this exercise “swimming without water” because it consists of performing the typical motions of swimming, while taking advantage of the free space in your house.

It’s great for increasing muscle support in your back, because it improves their physical condition.

How do you do it?

• Lie face down on the floor, with your back relaxed and arms extended outward to your sides.
• Perform strokes as if you were in a pool. You can make small semicircles (at ground level) or you can lift your arms a little to stretch the upper part of your body more.
• Do three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.

3-Rowing with an elastic band

How do you do it?

• Wrap the elastic band around your feet or attach it to a solid object that’s at the height of your elbows.
• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you and your back straight.
• Take both ends of the band, extend your arms toward your feet, and stretch it back toward your chest without arching your back.
• Perform three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.
• To increase the level of difficulty, shorten the band by tying a knot in it.

4-Contra-lateral plank (Superman)

This exercise, popularly known as the “Superman,” will test your balance and physical resistance.

It’s recommended for decreasing tension in the back and to tone the muscles of your abdomen and buttocks.

How do you do it?

• Kneel on all fours with your palms pressed to the floor.
• Lift and stretch your right arm and left leg, so that your body is supported on the opposite limbs.
• Hold this pose for three to five seconds and return to the starting position.
• Repeat with the opposite arm and leg, until you have completed 12 repetitions on each side.
• Do three sets.

5-Cat and camel pose

It helps to strengthen your lower back and reduces pressure on the joints between vertebrae.

How do you do it?

• Support yourself on all fours with your knees and hands placed shoulder width apart.
• Arch your spine upwards slowly, hold for two to three seconds, and then lower it toward the floor.
• Perform three sets of 10 repetitions, at a slow pace.

Do you often feel pain or tension in your back? Are you not exercising this part of the body? Now that you know about these simple exercises, include them in your routine. You’ll see how good they are for avoiding pain and injury.