Best Back Exercises & Workouts For Women

The human back consists of numerous muscles that play an essential role in physical fitness and overall health. Women need to focus on their overall health and strength training to maintain a healthy body.

Women often face various spine and back-related issues. The commonest of all complaints is back pain, caused by the extra pressure on the spine when carrying babies. Low backache is often caused due to improper sitting positions or a sedentary lifestyle. Spine problems can also occur due to childbirth, hereditary, overweight and obesity.

Treatment for women should include exercise as it helps in strengthening the muscles and improves posture. Posture correction exercises are very beneficial for back pain sufferers. A strong core will keep your spine in good shape by keeping the core muscles strong enough to support your body weight, which helps prevent injury.

Why Should You Exercise Your Back Muscles?

• It helps to enhance your posture.
• It strengthens your back.
• It will increase the number of calories burned.
• It will aid in the reduction of back fat.
• It guards against back pain and injury.

How Oakleigh's Personal Trainer Can Guide you For Your Back?

The back of your body has a lot of major muscle groups. The trapezius muscle is found in the upper back and forms a diamond shape between the shoulders and the mid-spine. The rhomboids are also found in the mid-upper back, connecting to the deltoids.

The latissimus dorsi is the most significant back muscle, covering the outside edges and contributing to the athletic 'V' taper. The erector spine muscles go down either side of your spine and are located in your lower back. Lower back problems are frequent in women, so keeping your erector spine strong and tone will help you avoid them. 

Not only will strengthening and toning all of the parts of your back give you a tight, toned, and fantastic back, but it will also shape your chest muscles. As a result, your breast will be lifted, resulting in a more feminine figure.

Steps to follow for a toned back 

There are many ways to train the back. Some involve machines, and some use free weights, but all of them are designed to address one major component or another.

The back is a complex musculature made up of many different muscle groups. Since the whole point of training is to stimulate a muscle response, it makes sense to try and hit each major muscle group with at least one specific exercise.

Let's understand how some of the best back exercises can be practised. 

• Body Weight Strengthening

Stand with your feet beneath your hips, and your arms bent, your fingertips resting behind your head, and your elbows open. Hinge at the hips and drop the torso toward the floor until the chest is parallel to the mat without changing the upper body structure. Then, back to where you started, push through your feet, clench your glutes, and reverse the exercise. That counts as one rep. Perform four sets of 12 to 15 reps, then rest for a minute before moving on to the next activity.

• Rotational stretches

This exercise loosens up the muscle groups at the back of the body, including arms, shoulders and upper back. It also reduces stress on your spinal cord and aids digestion. Lie down on your stomach with legs straight out behind you with your knees slightly bent, hands resting on your stomach with palms facing down, and fingers are pointing towards your feet. Stretch one arm towards your left foot while rotating your torso towards your right foot. Hold this position for 10 seconds and repeat with another arm/leg combination.

• Eccentric Bent Over Row

Begin the exercise by standing with your hips pushed back, your torso slanted 45 degrees, your arms outstretched toward the floor, and weights in your hands. In a count of one, pull both hands up alongside the rib cage, then lower them back down to begin at the count of three. That counts as one rep. Perform 15 to 20 reps before moving on to the next exercise. (Remember, you're performing a total of five.) Rest for up to two minutes after finishing your previous exercise, then repeat for a total of two or three rounds.

• Upright Row

Begin by standing with your hips pushed back and your torso slanted 45 degrees, arms outstretched toward the floor, and weights in your hands. In a count of one, pull both hands up alongside the rib cage, then lower them back down to begin in a count of three. That counts as one rep. Perform 15 to 20 reps before moving on to the next exercise. (Remember, you're performing a total of five.) Rest for up to two minutes after finishing your previous exercise, then repeat for a total of two or three rounds.

• Reverse Fly 

You can perform the Reverse Fly with a barbell or dumbbells. Either way, you will be required to lift the weight from a raised position, either above your head or at shoulder level, to a lowered position. I have found that many people are not aware of the muscles involved in this exercise. The muscles used to perform this exercise are the rhomboids and posterior deltoids.

• Single-arm bent Over

Begin with your feet hip-distance apart and your weight(s) in your right hand. Hinge at the hips, keeping the head and tailbone in line. Pull the right elbow back until the right wrist is near ribs, bracing core. To repeat, go back to the beginning. That counts as one rep. 15 to 20 reps on each side before moving on to the next exercise. (Remember, you're performing a total of five.) Rest for up to two minutes after finishing your previous exercise, then repeat for a total of two or three rounds.