Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center - September 27, 2024
by Emily Paulsen

An older woman does a pelvic tilt exercise to strengthen her back.

If you have pain or haven’t exercised in a while, it’s a good idea to see a provider before trying these spine-strengthening exercises to help your upper and lower back.

What’s the first thing you do when you stand up after an hour of watching TV or a long drive? You stretch. That’s because even just an hour of sitting can cause some stiffness in the spine. Stretches and other spine-strengthening exercises can help keep your spine flexible and mobile as well as counteract the effects of sitting too much.

Most people spend between six and nine hours a day sitting at school or work, and that doesn’t even include the sitting that comes with eating, driving, reading, watching TV or playing video games. That much time in the chair can come with some serious health risks, including risks associated with back pain. The good news is that there are things you can do to help prevent back pain related to sitting.

Regular exercise, especially brisk walking, is a great start. Doing tai chi, yoga or Pilates can help strengthen your back and keep it limber. When you’re at work or school, be sure to take breaks, mind your posture and take other precautions to ward off health complications tied to sitting too much.

Adding spine-strengthening exercises to your daily routine can also keep your back strong and flexible and help prevent back pain.

Where does it hurt?

When we think of an aching back, we often think of low back or lumbar pain, but sitting can be especially hard on the upper back (thoracic spine) and neck. Staring at a computer or another type of screen for extended periods of time can put additional stress on this area. You may feel symptoms of back pain in your spine, neck, arms or legs. Indeed, “tech neck” is an increasingly common cause of pain among mobile devices users.

If you’re experiencing serious or persistent pain, or if you haven’t exercised in a while, you should see a doctor before starting a new physical activity. If you’re in good health and you’ve noticed mild back stiffness recently, you should be able to add the following series of gentle back exercises without risk. The goal is to build strength and flexibility in the back and abdomen (core) muscles that support the spine.

Easy spine-strengthening exercises

You can do spine-strengthening exercises at any time that works for you, but the best time may be in the morning. You can even do them before you get out of bed to activate your muscles and get ready for the day.

Leg extensions

  • Lying on your back with your spine straight, bend one knee up, sliding your heel toward your buttocks but keeping it on the mattress.
  • Extend the leg out straight. Repeat this process 5 times, one leg at a time.
  • If that gets too easy over time, try moving both legs together.

Trunk rotation

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent and your abdominal muscles tight.
  • Let your knees fall gently to one side, keeping your shoulders flat.
  • Return your knees to the center, and then let them fall to the other side.
  • Repeat this five times in each direction.

Pelvic Bridge

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent and your arms by your side.
  • Slowly lift your hips off the mattress, progressing through each individual vertebra until your lower, middle and upper back are lifted.
  • Hold for a few seconds, and then gently roll back down in the opposite order.
  • Rest for a few seconds and repeat this exercise three times.

Leg lifts

  • Lie on your right side and support your head with your right arm.
  • Lift your left leg up and hold it at a 45-degree angle for 30 seconds.
  • Then, lower your leg, rest and repeat this process five times.
  • Switch to your left side and do the same thing.

Cat/cow stretches

  • Position yourself on your hands and knees with your hands parallel to your shoulders and your knees parallel to your hips.
  • Suck in your abdominal muscles, lift your lower and middle back as a cat would, and let your head tip forward.
  • Next, let your abdomen sag down toward the floor and lift your head up to look forward.
  • Repeat this process slowly five times.

If you have a foam roller or tennis ball, you can also place it on the floor, lie down on it, and roll back and forth along your spine to release tension in the muscles.

By practicing these spine-strengthening exercises every day, you can start to relieve your back pain and improve your overall spinal health.