Most women focus on their legs, abs, and buttocks during workouts, but what about the back? This is a commonly-neglected area of the body for most women. 

It’s important to realize that back strength, like core strength, is extremely important for spinal mobility. While the idea of strengthening your lower back muscles seems obvious, there are many more ways that you can strengthen the entire back. Here are some great moves to help strengthen your body. While working out at home, try these five simple yet effective exercises to increase your spine.

1. Squatting

The squat exercise is a popular method of developing stability in and around your waist. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, so that your butt is against gravity and supports your spine. Lower your torso toward the floor, taking a small step backward at each and every repetition. In this way, your abdominal wall will expand. 

Repeat one to three times each day; this keeps your spine strong and prevents injury to any other areas of the back. 

2. Hip Curls

The hip curls are an excellent move that gives your glutes stronger with each repetition. Start by placing a hand and knee behind your head so that your back hip is bent. 

Bend forward at the same time and place your hands under your shoulders at approximately level with each knee. Keep your chest up by using them as resistance. Hold this in place for 30 seconds and repeat the same process for another 30 seconds.

3. Side Lifts

The side lift is an extremely gentle exercise that targets the hips and hamstrings. Begin by lifting a leg with both arms in front of your face. Lift your hips and position the leg behind so that the upper arm is below the foot and the lower one above with your right heel touching the ground. Extend your left leg into the air, bending your left knee from the bottom and slowly lowering down to the ground. 

Return to the starting position and repeat the motion for both sides.

4. Skaters

Skaters work on lower body strength, which is essential to perform high-quality crunches, sit-ups, and push-ups. Pick up a skates board with your legs aligned with the edge of the board, bend your elbows, and position your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes pressed firmly into the ground and the skaters flat on this surface. 

Keeping your back straight, pull down through your heels to return to a standing position and continue to do it while twisting your body in circular motions. For every rep, you complete, stand up one position and hold for a few seconds before repeating the motion again.

5. Mountain Climbs

For years, you’ve probably never thought much of doing a heavy plank while you sit down, but with regular practice and movement, you’ll find that a plank won’t feel taxing. 

Jumped to see why? When a person jumps onto a plane, they rely on core strength and trunk stability to get off the ground safely. Similarly, jump off a horse or take a leap of faith without fully supporting your weight without fully activating your back muscles. With our backs supported, we can safely jump off the ground and land without fear. 

That’s exactly what we want to achieve when we train muscle groups at the gym: getting you to jump off the floor with ease when you desire. In addition to increasing overall strength, having core strength also helps reduce the risk of injury.