Back friendly exercises: 12 home strength moves and a 20-minute workout
Back friendly exercises are strength moves that keep your spine in its natural shape while your hips, legs, arms and trunk muscles do the work: hip bridges, bird dogs, dead bugs, side planks from the knees, sit-to-stands, supported split squats, hip hinges, wall or counter push-ups, supported rows and carries. You don't need to stop training when your back is sore or has been sore before. You need to swap the few moves that load a rounded or twisting spine, and build up slowly.
Below are 12 moves you can do at home with a chair, a wall and two water bottles or light dumbbells, with sets and reps for each, a table of what to do instead of the moves that bother backs, a ready 20-minute workout, a 6-week plan, a pain rule to use while you train, extra care if you have osteoporosis, and the signs that mean you should see a doctor first.
Is it safe to exercise with a sore back?
For most back pain, yes, and it usually helps. The UK's NICE guideline on low back pain (NG59) recommends staying active and considering an exercise programme, and the World Health Organization's 2023 guideline on chronic low back pain recommends structured exercise as part of care. A Cochrane review of 249 trials (Hayden and others, 2021) found exercise probably reduces pain and helps people do more, compared with no treatment or usual care. Bed rest is no longer advised for ordinary back pain.
Most back pain is "non-specific": no single damaged part can be found, and it tends to settle over weeks. Strong hips, legs and trunk muscles, and a back that's used to moving, make day-to-day jobs like lifting shopping or getting up from the floor easier. The aim of a back friendly workout is to keep training everything while the back calms down, and to get it used to load again bit by bit.
There are exceptions. Read the section on when to see a doctor first before you start.
What makes an exercise back friendly?
No move is good or bad for every back. But the moves people with sore backs usually tolerate share a few features:
- The spine stays in its natural curve under load. The hips and knees bend; the back stays long. Think "hinge at the hips", not "curl forward".
- The weight stays close to you. A bottle held against your thigh puts far less leverage on your back than the same bottle at arm's length.
- Your trunk resists movement instead of making it. A plank stops your back sagging; a side plank stops it bending sideways; a carry stops it leaning. That's how your trunk works when you carry a bag or open a heavy door.
- You can support yourself. One hand on a chair for a row or a split squat takes the strain off your back and lets your legs or arms work harder.
- The speed is slow. Two to three seconds down, a pause, then up. Fast, jerky reps are where backs get tweaked.
The moves that bother sore backs most often are the opposite: repeated bending forward against load (sit-ups, toe touches with weights), twisting with weight (Russian twists, wood chops with a heavy weight), heavy weight held overhead while the lower back arches, and lifting from the floor with a rounded back. You don't have to avoid these forever. Leave them out while your back is sore, and add them back later only if you want to.
12 back friendly exercises for home
The list covers every part of a full-body strength session: legs, hips, pushing, pulling and trunk. Start with the first version and the lower number of reps.
| # | Move | Works | Start with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hip bridge | Bottom, back of thighs | 2 sets of 10 |
| 2 | Bird dog | Back muscles, bottom, shoulders | 2 sets of 5 each side, 5-second holds |
| 3 | Dead bug | Front of the trunk | 2 sets of 6 each side |
| 4 | Side plank from the knees | Sides of the trunk, hips | 3 holds of 10 seconds each side |
| 5 | Sit-to-stand | Thighs, bottom | 2 sets of 8 to 10 |
| 6 | Supported split squat | Thighs, bottom, balance | 2 sets of 6 each leg |
| 7 | Hip hinge with a broom | Back of thighs, bottom, back muscles | 2 sets of 10 |
| 8 | Low step-up | Thighs, bottom, balance | 2 sets of 8 each leg |
| 9 | Wall or counter push-up | Chest, shoulders, arms, trunk | 2 sets of 8 to 10 |
| 10 | Supported one-arm row | Upper back, arms | 2 sets of 10 each arm |
| 11 | Band pull-apart or wall angel | Upper back, posture muscles | 2 sets of 12 |
| 12 | Suitcase carry | Grip, sides of the trunk, hips | 3 walks of 20 to 30 seconds each side |
How to do each one
1. Hip bridge
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart. Squeeze your bottom first, then lift your hips until your knees, hips and shoulders form a line. Don't push higher by arching your lower back: stop when your bottom is tight. Pause, lower over 3 seconds. Harder: hold a bottle across your hips, or do it on one leg.
2. Bird dog
On hands and knees, hands under shoulders, knees under hips. Slide one leg back along the floor and lift it to hip height while you reach the opposite arm forward, keeping your back as still as a tabletop. Hold 5 seconds, return, swap sides. Easier: move only the leg. If your lower back sags, lift the leg less.
3. Dead bug
Lie on your back, knees bent over your hips, arms reaching to the ceiling. Breathe out and let your ribs settle down towards the floor. Slowly lower one heel to tap the floor, bring it back, swap legs. Harder: lower the opposite arm overhead at the same time, or straighten the leg further. Keep your lower back in gentle contact with the floor; when it lifts, you've gone too far.
4. Side plank from the knees
Lie on your side, propped on your elbow under your shoulder, knees bent behind you. Lift your hips so your body is in a straight line from knees to head. Hold 10 seconds, rest a breath, repeat. Build to 20 to 30 seconds over the weeks, then try it from your feet with knees straight.
5. Sit-to-stand
Sit near the front of a sturdy chair, feet hip-width. Lean forward from the hips with a long back, stand up through your whole foot, then sit back down slowly. If standing from a normal chair hurts your back, add a cushion to make the seat higher. Harder: hold a bottle or dumbbell against your chest.
6. Supported split squat
Stand side-on to a counter, one hand on it, and take a long stride with one foot forward and the back heel up. Lower straight down by bending both knees, as far as is comfortable, then stand. Keep your chest tall. Single-leg moves like this train your legs hard with less total weight, which is why they're kind to backs.
7. Hip hinge with a broom
Hold a broom handle along your back so it touches the back of your head, between your shoulder blades and your tailbone. With soft knees, push your hips back and lean your chest forward until you feel a stretch in the back of your thighs, keeping all three points on the broom. Stand up by squeezing your bottom. This teaches you to bend at the hips, the way to pick things up from low down. Once it's easy, swap the broom for two bottles held against your thighs.
8. Low step-up
Hold the banister and put one whole foot on the bottom stair. Push through that heel to stand up tall, then step down slowly with the other foot. Do all reps on one side, then switch. Keep your chest up rather than folding forward over the knee.
9. Wall or counter push-up
Hands on a wall or kitchen counter, a little wider than your shoulders, body in a straight line from head to heels. Lower your chest towards your hands, then push away. Squeeze your bottom so your lower back doesn't sag. The lower the surface, the harder it gets: wall, counter, sturdy table, then the floor.
10. Supported one-arm row
Put one hand and the same-side knee on a sturdy chair or bench, other foot on the floor, back flat. Hold a bottle or dumbbell in the free hand and pull it towards your hip, elbow close to your side, then lower slowly. The supporting hand takes the load off your back, which is why this suits sore backs better than a two-arm bent-over row.
11. Band pull-apart or wall angel
With a light resistance band held at chest height, arms straight, pull your hands apart until the band touches your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades, then return slowly. No band? Stand with your back against a wall, arms in a goalpost shape, and slide them up and down the wall slowly. Both work the muscles between your shoulder blades that tire when you sit hunched.
12. Suitcase carry
Hold a heavy shopping bag, a full water jug or a dumbbell in one hand and walk slowly around the room, standing tall, not leaning towards the weight or away from it. Switch hands. Your trunk muscles work to keep you upright, the same job they do every time you carry one bag.
What to do instead of the moves that hurt your back
If a move you like makes your back worse, swap it for one that trains the same muscles with less strain:
| If this bothers your back | Try instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-ups and crunches | Dead bug, plank, side plank | Trains the front of the trunk without curling the spine again and again |
| Russian twists | Side plank, band Pallof press, suitcase carry | Trunk resists twisting instead of twisting under load |
| Toe touches with weights, good mornings | Hip hinge with a broom, hip bridge | Bends at the hips, not the lower back |
| Two-arm bent-over row | Supported one-arm row | A hand on a chair carries the weight of your upper body |
| Standing overhead press | Incline or counter push-up, press at an angle in front of you | Less arching of the lower back |
| Goblet or back squat with weights | Sit-to-stand, supported split squat | Less total load on the spine for the same leg work |
| Superman (arms and legs lifted lying face down) | Bird dog | Works the back muscles with less arching |
| Lifting from the floor with a rounded back | Hinge, or a half-kneel, with the weight close | Your hips and legs do the lifting |
For the trunk part of the workout in more depth, with 10 moves from easiest to hardest and a 10-minute routine, see our guide to back friendly core exercises.
A pain rule to use while you train
Some discomfort while exercising a sore back is common and isn't a sign of harm. A pain-monitoring rule helps you decide what's too much. Rate your back from 0 (no pain) to 10 (the worst pain you can imagine):
- 0 to 3 during a move, and it settles within an hour or two afterwards: fine to keep going.
- No worse the next morning: fine, and you can add a rep or a few seconds next time.
- Above 3 during the move, or stiffer and sorer the next morning: go back to an easier version, make the movement smaller, or swap it using the table above.
- Pain that travels further down your leg during a move: stop that move for today. Pain that moves back towards your spine is usually a better sign.
Test any new move with one easy set before you do a whole workout of it.
A 20-minute back friendly workout
Do this two or three times a week, with at least a day between. Go through each block, resting 30 to 60 seconds between sets.
| Minutes | Block | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | Warm-up | March on the spot 1 minute; 8 slow cat-and-camel rocks on hands and knees, small range; 8 hip bridges; 5 bird dogs each side |
| 4 to 9 | Legs | Sit-to-stand, 2 sets of 10; supported split squat, 2 sets of 6 each leg |
| 9 to 14 | Push and pull | Counter push-up, 2 sets of 8; supported one-arm row, 2 sets of 10 each arm |
| 14 to 18 | Hips and trunk | Hip hinge with a broom or bottles, 2 sets of 10; dead bug, 2 sets of 6 each side; side plank from the knees, 2 holds of 15 seconds each side |
| 18 to 20 | Carry and finish | Suitcase carry, 2 walks of 30 seconds each hand; then walk around the house for a minute |
On a day when your back is cranky, do only the warm-up and the trunk block. Gentle movement usually does a sore back more good than a day on the sofa. If you'd rather have the sessions chosen for you, our free home strength quiz asks whether your back bothers you and builds every session around the answer.
Short on time? Our 15 minute workout for women over 40 has three timed sessions with back swaps already listed.
A 6-week back friendly plan
| Week | Strength (the 20-minute workout) | Other days | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 sessions, easiest versions, lower reps | Walk 10 to 20 minutes most days | Learn the moves; use the pain rule |
| 2 | 2 sessions | Walk 15 to 20 minutes | Add 2 reps to each set if the next mornings were fine |
| 3 | 3 sessions | Walk 20 minutes | Side plank holds to 20 seconds; bird dog holds to 8 seconds |
| 4 | 3 sessions | Walk 20 to 30 minutes | Add bottles or light dumbbells to sit-to-stands and hinges |
| 5 | 3 sessions | Walk 20 to 30 minutes | Counter push-ups move to a table; 3 sets on legs |
| 6 | 3 sessions | Walk 30 minutes | Side plank holds to 30 seconds; a heavier carry |
Walking matters alongside the strength work. It's gentle, it keeps the back moving, and NICE lists aerobic activity among the exercise types worth considering for low back pain. Build up the minutes the same way you build the reps.
If a week goes badly, repeat it rather than moving on. Backs often have up-and-down weeks; one bad week isn't a reason to stop.
Form fixes that take strain off your back
- Breathe out on the effort. Holding your breath hard for every rep raises the strain; breathe out as you stand, push or pull.
- Brace lightly, don't suck in. Tighten your belly as if someone were about to poke it, about a quarter of your effort, and keep breathing. Pulling your belly button hard to your spine isn't needed.
- Ribs over hips. In push-ups, presses and carries, keep your ribcage stacked over your pelvis instead of flaring up and arching your lower back.
- Hinge, then lift. To pick a weight up from the floor, push your hips back, bend your knees, keep the weight close and stand up with your legs.
- Move first thing gently. Many backs are stiffer in the first hour after waking. If yours is, train later in the day, or do a longer warm-up.
- Leave a couple of reps in the tank. Stop each set when you could still do two more with good form. Grinding out the last rep is when form slips.
If you have osteoporosis or a past spinal fracture
Strength training is recommended for people with osteoporosis, and back muscle strength matters even more. The Royal Osteoporosis Society's 2019 expert consensus, "Strong, Steady and Straight", recommends strengthening exercise and advises care with movements that combine forward bending with twisting or load, especially repeated ones. That means the swaps above (no sit-ups, no loaded twists, hinge instead of curl) suit you well. If you've had a spinal fracture, ask a physical therapist to set your starting point. Our guide to bone density exercises for women over 50 covers the impact and loading side.
When to see a doctor before training your back
Get urgent medical help (in the US, the emergency room or 911) if back pain comes with:
- numbness or tingling around your genitals or bottom, or in both legs
- new trouble peeing, or losing control of your bladder or bowels
- weakness in your legs, or feeling unsteady on your feet
See a doctor soon, before you start exercising it, if you have back pain:
- after a fall or an accident
- with a fever, feeling unwell, or weight loss you can't explain
- that's worse at night or when you lie still, or keeps getting worse
- with a history of cancer
- with pain, numbness or weakness running down one leg that isn't improving
- that hasn't improved after a few weeks of staying active
A physical therapist can also give you a programme built around your back if this general one doesn't help.
Questions people ask
What exercises should I avoid with a bad back?
While it's sore, leave out repeated forward bending against load (sit-ups, toe touches with weights), twisting with weight (Russian twists), heavy overhead pressing with an arched back, and lifting from the floor with a rounded back. Keep training everything else with the swaps above.
Is walking good for back pain?
For most people, yes. It's gentle, it keeps you moving, and you can build it up easily. Start with what's comfortable and add a few minutes each week.
How often should I do back friendly exercises?
Two or three strength sessions a week with a day between, plus walking most days. Gentle trunk moves like bird dogs and bridges can be done daily during a flare-up.
Should I stretch or strengthen a sore back?
Both can help, and guidelines don't name one best kind of exercise. Strength work has the edge for day-to-day jobs like lifting and carrying, which is why it's the core of this plan; a few gentle stretches in the warm-up are fine.
Should I wear a back brace or belt to exercise?
For ordinary low back pain, NICE advises against offering belts or corsets. Strong trunk muscles do the job a belt is meant to do. If a doctor has given you a brace for a specific reason, follow their advice.
Can I lift weights with lower back pain?
Many people can, starting light, with the weight close to the body and the spine in its natural shape. Use the pain rule, build slowly, and see a doctor first if any of the warning signs above apply.
A plan that works around your back
The 2-minute home strength quiz asks about your back, knees, goal and time, then shows the 12-week plan it builds, with back friendly swaps already chosen for each session.
Take the quizMore plain guides on getting stronger at home: all our home strength guides, including strength training for women over 40 without weights.
Sources: NICE, Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management (NG59), 2016, updated 2020. World Health Organization, Guideline for non-surgical management of chronic primary low back pain in adults, 2023. Hayden J. et al., "Exercise therapy for chronic low back pain", Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2021. Foster N. et al., "Prevention and treatment of low back pain: evidence, challenges, and promising directions", The Lancet, 2018. Royal Osteoporosis Society, Strong, Steady and Straight: an expert consensus statement on physical activity and exercise for osteoporosis, 2019. NHS, Back pain (when to get medical help). McGill S., Low Back Disorders, 3rd edition, Human Kinetics, 2016. This guide is about exercise habits and is not medical advice; follow your doctor's or physical therapist's advice where it differs.