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An elderly woman doing a plank

18 Back Exercises for Seniors for Strength and Mobility

A healthy back is vital to movement and remaining independent. These back exercises promote strength, flexibility, and mobility.

Author: MaryAnn DePietro CRT

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Lower back pain can include discomfort between the lower ribs and the top of the hips or buttocks. It is one of the most common complaints among adults. National survey data indicates that about 8.2% of Americans have chronic back pain. It occurs most often in the lower back.

About 25% of those with chronic back pain have trouble with mobility, self-care, and employment participation. Back pain can occur at any age. However, it appears most commonly between the ages of 50 and 59.

One of the most important things you can do to manage and prevent back pain is exercise.

Low-Impact Back Exercises for the Elderly

Seniors with back pain must prioritize exercises that strengthen, stretch, and promote mobility. Older adults should also start slowly, especially if they are new to exercise. Gradually progress the exercise and stop if you feel sudden pain in your back.

Low-impact exercises are a great way to maintain mobility and circulation. They can also be used as a warm-up before strength training or stretching.

Walking

Walking is an excellent weight-bearing exercise that can help strengthen the bones and reduce the risk of bone loss. Strengthening the bones of your back can provide better support for your spine and reduce the risk of pain.

Swimming

Swimming provides a good cardiovascular workout and total body strength training, including for the muscles of your:

  • Shoulders
  • Core
  • And upper and lower back.

Water aerobics

Due to water's buoyancy, water aerobics allows you to move with an increased range of motion. This will enable you to twist and bend more than you can on land. It can also help strengthen your core muscles, which may reduce pressure on your lower back.

Tai chi

Tai chi is a Chinese practice that combines gentle, slow movements with breathing and meditation. It can improve flexibility, promote postural awareness, and strengthen the core muscles. All of which may reduce muscle tension and promote relaxation.

Yoga

Yoga is a centuries-old practice that combines physical poses with breathing techniques and meditation. It targets muscles, including the core and lower back, which helps improve the strength and stability of the spine.

Back Strengthening Exercises

Back strengthening exercises for seniors should include a combination of exercises that target the abdominal and back muscles. A strong core provides support for the lower back. It also helps promote correct spinal alignment and good posture, reducing the risk of back pain.

View Video Transcript

Begin by lying on your stomach. Place your elbows below your shoulders, the hands with the palms on the ground, and onto your toes. This will create a straight line from the shoulders to the heels. Hold this position for approximately 10 seconds. If you are able to maintain this posture and hold longer, you may do so. If you begin to lose posture by dipping down or rolling side-to-side, then you have performed this for too long. The key here is to maintain good posture for as long as you are able to. Take the amount of time you are able to hold the position and complete however many repetitions you need to add up to 60 seconds. This may be either four sets of 15 seconds, three sets of 20 seconds, or even six sets of 10 seconds. If this is too difficult for you, you can perform this exercise by placing your knees on the ground and arms in the same position, and again holding for an accumulated total of 60 seconds with good posture.

Plank

Plank is an excellent exercise for strengthening the core, including the back and abs. It involves an isometric hold, which may be a good choice for people with back discomfort when doing other core exercises.

To perform a plank:

  • Lie down on your stomach with your hands next to your chest and palms down.
  • Your legs should be outstretched in back of you, and your toes touching the ground,
  • Press through your palms and lift your hips and torso off the ground.
  • Drop to your forearms, keeping your elbow aligned with your shoulder.
  • Keep your hips in line with your shoulder.
  • Avoid drooping the hips too low, creating an arch in the back.
  • Work up to a 60-second hold.

Several ways to progress a plank exercise include performing a side-rotating plank or a plank with a shoulder tap. If you are starting, you could also planking on your knees.

View Video Transcript

This exercise is the glute bridge so we're going to be strengthening the hamstring muscle the low back and the glutes so go ahead and lay down on the ground and first you're gonna make sure that your feet are about shoulder width apart and then we're gonna try to get that pelvic tilt so what that means is we're going to rotate our hips back so our low back is touching the ground once you do that you can double check that and put your fingertips just inside your hip bones and you can feel those deep core muscles activating once you have the pelvic tilt then you're going to squeeze your glutes and raise up towards the ceiling you're going to hold there for a couple seconds and then you're gonna come straight back down nice slow and controlled when you come back down come out of the pelvic tilts and then reset again so we're gonna be working on resetting on each reps that you do for the glute bridge remember squeezing those glutes and coming up to the ceiling as you get stronger and you're strengthening the pelvic tilt you're actually gonna hold it for each rep so remember rotate those hips backward till you have your low back into the ground squeeze those glutes and come up towards the ceiling you'll pause there and then slowly return down to the ground and maintain that pelvic tilt squeeze the glutes and then come back up towards the ceiling you should be feeling this in the glute region or the hip region you're gonna take the elastic band and tie it around your thigh make sure to double knot it'll be right above your knee and this is actually gonna help us to strengthen the glute meet us Allah the muscle on the outside portion of your hip you'll lay back down and again starting with that pelvic tilt rotating back so your low back is touching into the ground you're going to spread your knees apart and then squeeze your glute and raise up towards the ceiling making sure you're going nice flowing controlled and breathing throughout the entire range of motion you'll come back down and then try to hold that pelvic tilt squeeze those glutes push against that elastic band up towards the ceiling again nice slow and controlled [Music]

Bridge

The bridge is a good exercise for working your lower abdominal muscles, which help stabilize your hips and lower back. It also helps strengthen your glute muscles, supporting your back.

To perform a bridge:

  • Lie on your back, keeping your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent.
  • Place your hands at your side parallel to your hips, palms facing down.
  • Press through your heels to push your glutes and hips off the ground.
  • Hold at the top of the movement for a few seconds while squeezing your glutes.
  • Return to your starting position and repeat for 12 repetitions and two to three sets.

There are several ways to progress the bridge exercise. For example, you can do a bridge on one leg or use an exercise band slightly placed above your knees to add additional resistance.

View Video Transcript

The lying leg raise is a core exercise that targets the rectus abdominis adductors soaz and quads place your hands underneath your bottom and lay back in supine or belly up position legs are extended Begin by hovering the feet above the floor End by drawing the legs in until the legs are straight above the hips perpendicular to the Torso and ground slowly lower the straight legs back to hover above the ground repeat this has been the lying leg raise

Leg Raises

Leg raises help to strengthen the lower abdominal muscles. If you're just starting out, you can decrease the range of motion by lifting your legs less high or lowering them all the way to the ground.

To perform a leg raise:

  • Lie on your back with your legs extended straight out in front of you.
  • Place your hands palm down underneath the top of your glutes for back support.
  • Hover your feet a few inches above the ground, keeping your legs straight.
  • Using your core, raise straight legs towards the ceiling, keeping your back on the ground.
  • Slowly return your legs to the starting position.
  • Repeat for 10 to 12 reps.
View Video Transcript

Sit on your tailbone with your knees bent and your heels resting on the floor Lean Back keeping your spine straight tilting your chest up towards the ceiling slowly Twist from left to right as far as you can control not stopping until you've completed all of your repetitions from left to right and back is one repetition

Russian Twists

A Russian twist works your internal and external obliques. It also helps with torso and spinal mobility to maintain flexibility and range of motion.

To perform a Russian twist:

  • Sit on your tailbone with your knees slightly bent and your heels on the floor.
  • Keep your back straight as you lean back slightly.
  • Tilt your chest slightly towards the ceiling and rotate your torso from right to left as far as possible.

To progress this exercise and make it more challenging, lift both feet off the ground a few inches while maintaining balance on your tailbone. Another option is to hold a medicine ball or dumbbell as you rotate from side to side.

View Video Transcript

Hi I'm going to show you how to do the bicycle grab onto the back of your legs roll it down slowly back is on the ground one knee comes up one leg extends if you need to modify you're going to lay your hands down by your sides you're just shifting from one leg to the other as you go like you're on a bicycle reach through the tips of your toes lengthen the core level two is going to go shoulder towards knee elbows out nice and wide I want you to really focus on rotating these are interor obliques these are the working muscles internal external oblique so you want shoulder crossing over to the kneecap and switch the higher the feet the easier the lower the legs the more challenging so the more parallel you become to the floor the harder it's going to become things to avoid you don't want to lace your fingertips pressing putting pressure on the neck open them out nice and wide exhale as you switch and inhale so you're always taking one full full breath on each rotation keep the elbows out nice and wide we want to avoid choking the neck you're going shoulder to knee as you rotate really focus on lifting into those shoulders coming up as high as you comfortably can the higher you lift the deeper the contraction exhale and inhale and that is how you perform the bicycle

Bicycle

Bicycle crunches strengthen the internal and external obliques while maintaining flexibility in the lower back. This combination can also help improve posture and, in turn, reduce back pain.

To perform bicycle crunches:

  • Lie on the floor, face up, and your knees bent.
  • Pelvic tilt by drawing your belly button into your spine and bring your back flat against the floor.
  • Place your hands on the sides of your head to gently support your neck.
  • Lift your shoulders, neck, and head off the floor without tugging on your neck.
  • Bring one knee up towards your chest wall, simultaneously twisting to bring the opposite elbow towards that knee.
  • Return to the starting position and rotate to the opposite side, bringing the opposite knee up.
  • Repeat for 12 repetitions and 2 to 3 sets.

You can progress a bicycle crunch during the exercise by keeping the extended leg elevated a few inches

Additional back-strengthening exercises: Back exercises for elderly individuals also include straight training targeting the back. Good choices for back-strengthening exercises include those listed below.

View Video Transcript

Lie on your front and rest on your forearms straighten your arms making your back very arched hold this position start gently with this exercise as it can cause some back stiffness when you first begin

Back extensions

Back extension strengthens the lower back, including the erector spinae. Strong back muscles help promote good posture. To perform a back extension:

  • Lie belly down on the ground.
  • Place your forearms on the ground.
  • Keep your legs outstretched in the back of you with your toes touching the ground
  • Slowly lift your torso and make sure your chest clears off the floor.
  • Avoid overarching your back and lift to your range of motion.
  • Hold for a few seconds and return to your starting position.
  • Repeat for five repetitions.

You can progress a back extension by lifting your torso higher. Another method is using a Roman chair to increase the range of motion in your erector spinae muscles.

View Video Transcript

[Music] hi this is dr. sherry stone from bio Spine Institute today we're going to learn how to do the exercise called the Superman the Superman strengthens the whole entire back of us and it can really help if you have any kind of back pain to do Superman lay on your stomach keeping your hands by your side lift up your head shoulders and chest and your feet at the same time and hold for three to five seconds if this is too difficult for you just lift up and go back down if you're a beginner and this is still difficult just lift up either your lower body or your upper body one at a time this should not hurt and this should help strengthen up your entire posterior chain [Music] you you

Superman

A Superman exercise is also similar to a back extension. In addition to lifting your torso, you're also lifting your legs from the ground, which provides additional strengthening. Perform the Superman exercise:

  • Lie face down on the floor with your legs straight and arms extended in front of you.
  • Keep your head in a neutral position. Slowly lift your arms and legs about four or five inches off the floor. You should feel a contraction in your lower back muscles.
  • Squeeze your glute muscles while your legs and arms are lifted.
  • Try to lift high enough to get your belly button off the floor.
  • Hold this position for a few seconds, breathing in and out during the exercise, and return to your starting position.
  • Repeat for two or three repetitions.
View Video Transcript

Take your pull-up from looking like this to looking effortless with these technique tips pull your shoulder blades down your back and hold them in place as you do your pull-up don't allow them to raise use a slightly wider grip and pull your elbows down towards your sides instead of behind you create a hollow body shape by bringing your toes in front of you and using the front of your core don't Arch and use your lower back aim to pull vertically instead of pulling back and to the bar this is just one way you can adjust your pull-up technique to smooth out your reps there are other technique options available let me know if you want me to cover them in another video thank you for being here

Pull Up

A pull-up is an advanced exercise where you engage your abdominal muscles to stabilize your body through the move. In addition to using your core, a pull-up strengthens the back and can help improve posture.

  • Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the bar with your hands facing forward.
  • Pull your shoulder blades back as you extend your arms overhead.
  • Bring your toes slightly forward to decrease arching your back.
  • Pull your elbows down to your sides as you pull your body towards the bar.
  • Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.

Stretches for Lower Back Pain

Specific stretches also help treat lower back pain. The stretches below can relieve muscle tension and stiffness, which may reduce back pain.

Practical exercises for lower back pain for seniors include:

View Video Transcript

For a double knee to chest stretch, prop both knees up. Then grab underneath both sides, and pull your knees towards your chest, holding that stretch.

Knee-to-chest stretch

The knee-to-chest stretch is easy to perform and is gentle on the lower back. It can relieve tension in the lower back and reduce stiffness. To perform a knee-to-chest stretch:

  • Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet on the ground.
  • Slowly bring both knees to your chest.
  • Hold for about 30 seconds.

If you have significant back pain and need additional support, place a rolled-up towel or pillow under your lower back. You can also bring one knee to your chest to see if that is easier.

View Video Transcript

hi I'm going to demonstrate how to do a pelvic tilt which is really good for the glutes and the lower back area lay all the way down on your back feet should be no wider than shoulder width think about a fist between your knees arms are going down to your sides walk your fingers down the mat as far as you can get them open up the chest shoulders down the spine all we're going to do is simply rotate the pelvis under tuck the hips Engage The glutes and then lower so once you really focus on rotating the pelvis tuck it under Engage The glutes put a little bit of pressure into your heels and up the quads engage the top of the quads down into the hamstrings and really get those glutes to activate lower down we're doing between 8 and 12 repetitions and two to three sets for another move you can also place a ball between the knees this will help stabilize the hips a little bit more head needs to be relaxed down by your sides chest open so our key points here heels are going to dig into the floor slightly toes are barely going to lift off the floor for a little bit more execution into the glute knees need to be no wider than shoulder width apart hands down by the sides get them close to your ankles if you can get them there step two is going to lift tuck the pelvis under Engage The glutes hold it for a few seconds step three releasing all the way back down to the mat touch the glutes to the floor and relax and that is how we do our pelvic tilts h

Pelvic tilts

A pelvic tilt strengthens the lower abdominal muscles and helps you establish proper form for specific core exercises.

To perform a pelvic tilt:

  • Lie on the floor with your feet flat and your knees bent.
  • Place your arms alongside your torso, ensuring your neck aligns with your spine.
  • Your back should maintain a natural curve, slightly above the floor.
  • Slowly tighten and engage your abdominal muscles while tucking your tailbone up and draining your belly button towards the ground.
  • Allow your pelvis and spine to return to the original position.
  • Perform 10 repetitions.

Pelvic tilt is a gentle exercise that doesn't usually require any additional modifications to your fitness level.

View Video Transcript

hey everyone and welcome to yoga with Adriene I'm Adriene and today we are going to learn cat cow which is one of my favorite things in the entire universe so I'm happy to share it with you today cat cow is great for a happy spine massages the internal organs stretches the belly builds muscles in the back and can also reduce stress which we all need to do I don't think we will argue about that so hop on the mat and let's learn cat cow okay so we're going to begin on all fours and we can pad the knees with a blanket or we can double up the mat in fact let me just show you that really fast this is a great trick if you're working on hard floors and you don't have a blanket you can peel the mat up and double it up here or quadruple triple quadruple it up and it becomes a nice little padding for the knees Donna so use a blanket if you like or double up on the mat okay so together we'll come to arrive on all fours and right away of course I want to think about my foundation mat which is touching the air so I'm going to spread my palms as wide as I can and place them underneath the shoulders so wrists underneath the shoulders I'm gonna check in with my my legs knees directly underneath the hips and checking in with my foundation I will therefore press the tops of my thighs into the earth so rather than just hanging out on all fours I'm already considering my foundation and not just that but pressing up and out of it so finding this what we call tabletop position and to do that I'm really going to extend through the crown of the head by maybe taking my gaze down between my two index fingers and then maybe drawing the shoulder all the shoulders away from the ears my yoga mentor will be like what's with all this maybe no maybe let's roll the shoulders away from the ears see if we can create a long neck here and then particularly for us gals but for everyone just check in with the lower back by drawing the navel up towards the spine so sometimes we get caught in this nice pelvic tilt which is lovely but we'll want to come into the tabletop position so straightening that out so there's kind of a lot of activity going on here I'm pressing up and out of my palms I'm going gauging the pelvic floor pressing into the tops of the feet drawing my navel to my spine shoulders away from the ears long beautiful neck here then of course I'll begin to come into my breath maybe first just noticing the natural rhythm the natural ebb and flow of the breath and then beginning to stir it up play with it seeing if I can extend the inhale and extend the exhalation I'm starting to collect tiny beads of sweat on my forehead one because it's kind of hot in the room but two because I'm working here I'm already creating a full-body experience for myself engaging the core connecting from the crown of the head of the tip of the tailbone okay so this is actually tabletop position this is the preparatory pose for cat cow so I'll inhale and break this line in the spine scooping my heart forward pelvis tilts here as I shine my heart forward gaze can come forward here I'm drawing my shoulders away from the ears and I'm continuing that action that I had in tabletop position of pressing up and out of the earth rather than just collapsing into my bones so inhaling long belly then on the exhale opposite so I'm going to start at the tailbone curl my tailbone under travel up the spine draw the navel up towards the sky chin slowly rotates tilts towards the chest so we want to draw the chin to the chest but not forcefully just letting the flow up the spine allow the crown of the head to release and then same thing here I could be hanging into my bones here or I can really get my money's worth as I like to say I can press up and out of the earth really feeling the skin of the back stretch drawing the navel up towards the sky and then on your inhale on the next inhale same thing scooping the heart forward lengthening through the side body pressing up and out of the palms as the tailbone lifts up pelvic tilt heart radiates for nine big breath in on the exhale tailbone curls under chin to chest navel draws up pressing up and out of the palms in kids yoga here we pretend like we're black Halloween cats here we go now on the inhale scooping the heart forward I want to just take a quick moment to say rather than thinking of this as a u-shape letter you like I love you or other things rather than thinking thinking of it as a u-shape and then an end shape think about it as a journey so the breath is taking us on the journey up into that you shape and then we'll connect the the breath and the movement by then traveling into the end shape so a good example of that if you're like what does she just say is when I'm here mmm in this kind of u-shaped stretching the skin of my belly rather than just thinking about connect going from here to here I'm going to really enjoy how I get there so connecting it with the breath I'll maybe start at the tip of the tailbone start the movement there and then slowly travel up the spine like to little finger tips walking up my spine until they continue to walk walk walk up my neck and then the crown of the head release is only because I finally made it there in my journey and then I begin again inhale looping the shoulders away from the ears again scooping the heart forward so this is a really great spinal flex again warm up and I feel like a lot of times we just blow through it like everything else like really fast so take your time consider the breath and then marry the breath to the movement always wanting to marry the breath to the action action to the breath so here we go cat cow inhaling scooping heart forward again inhale heart radiates forward long puppy belly here pressing into the tops of the feet it gives you a good here we say rule and then exhaling traveling up the staircase of the spine pressing into my palms all of this is on that exhale long breath in longneck we can close the eyes and really enjoy this so that was cat cow a wonderful basic foundational pose that you can do every day when you wake up or before you go to bed super yummy for the spine thanks for being with me if you have any questions leave them in the comments box area I'll get back to you as soon as I can make sure you subscribe to my channel and visit yoga with Adriene comm hope you have a beautiful time practicing cat-cow namaste

Cat-cow pose

The cat-cow pose provides a stretch alternating between an arch and rounding your back. It stretches the neck, deltoids, trapezius muscles, and lower back.

To perform a cat-cow pose:

  • Start on your hands and knees.
  • Keep your shoulders underneath your knees.
  • Inhale while curving your lower back up and drop your head to your chest, pushing down. Hold this position for several seconds.
  • Return to your starting position.
  • Next, exhale as you arch your back while looking up so that your chin and nose point toward the ceiling.
  • Hold for several seconds.
  • Repeat for five repetitions.

Modify as needed if you have pain during the move. Avoid arching your back too deeply or rounding your spine too much. Move slowly between the two stretches.

View Video Transcript

[Narrator] Child pose. Begin in a crawl position with hands palms down and knees on a mat. Next, slowly sit back, lowering your buttocks towards your heels until a stretch is felt along your back and/or buttocks. Crawl your fingers further out for a deeper stretch. Hold for 15 seconds. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Slowly return to start position. Perform three repetitions twice a day for five days a week.

Child's Pose

A child's pose is a good option to stretch your lower back and reduce stiffness. To perform the child's pose:

  • Start on your hands and knees, keeping your knees spread about shoulder-width apart.
  • Gently bring your glutes back to sit down on your heels.
  • Slowly reach your hands forward as you bring your chest down towards the ground.
  • Stretch your arms before you with your palms facing down.
  • Bring your forehead to the mat as you keep your glutes close to your heels.
  • Hold for about 30 seconds.

To modify the child's pose, spread your knees further apart to ease tension in your lower back. Rest your head on sticks fists instead of bringing your forehead to the ground.

View Video Transcript

Line a mat with your feet together and your hands Palm down on the mat next to your rib cage slowly press through your hands lifting your chest as you arch up and back Press Your Arms down to the ground pulling your shoulders down and away from your ears arch your back as much as is comfortable then hold for 20 seconds or more before slowly letting yourself back down to the mat

Cobra

A cobra is similar to a back extension. However, the cobra is a yoga pose. A back extension is a broader term involving different exercises that extend the lower back. It helps stretch the lower spine.

  • Lie with your belly on the floor. Place your palms under your shoulders with palms down.
  • Bend your elbows back close to your sides.
  • Keep your neck in a neutral position.
  • Slowly press through your palms to bring your chest off the floor to arch your back.
  • Drop your shoulders away from your ears.
  • Hold for about twenty seconds and return to your starting position.

If you have back pain, you can modify a cobra by not raising your torso as high. This will decrease the degree of arch you're placing in your back.

Conclusion

Back exercises are vital to increased strength in the lower back and core. They also help reduce stiffness and tension while promoting range of motion.

Talking to your doctor before starting a new exercise plan is always a good idea. This is important if you have chronic back pain.

Maintaining good form and being consistent with your program is key when doing exercises for back pain.

Exercise is beneficial for people of all ages with different conditions, including low back pain. However, some exercises may need to be modified to be appropriate for your situation.

Related Resources

About the Author

MaryAnn DePietro CRT

MaryAnn DePietro CRT is a licensed respiratory therapist with over 15 years of clinical experience in critical care, emergency medicine, and pulmonary rehabilitation. She is also an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer and holds specialty certifications in orthopedics, senior fitness, and weight management. MaryAnn has a degree in Rehabilitation from Penn State University and a degree in respiratory therapy.

In addition to her clinical experience, she has written extensively about all things medical, as well as health, fitness, and aging for various websites, magazines, and newspapers.

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