Do you want to know about at-home exercises to strengthen the middle back? Working out the center of your back can help you improve your posture and reduce pain from prolonged sitting. If you’re looking for exercises you can do at home, there are plenty of options.
7 Best At-Home Exercises to Strengthen the Middle Back
Here’s a short overview of some exercises that will help strengthen your middle back.
1. Bent Over Row
The bent-over row is one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your middle back. To do this exercise, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and squatting down slightly so that your torso is parallel to the ground. Next, place a weight in each hand, then pull them up towards your chest while keeping your elbows close to your body. Focus on squeezing the muscles in the middle of your back as you lift the weights, then lowering them slowly before repeating the motion.
2. Reverse Flyes
Reverse flyes are another excellent exercise for working out the muscles in the middle of your back. This exercise requires two weights and can be either standing or seated on an exercise ball or bench.
Start by holding both weights out in front of you, palms facing each other, then raise both arms to either side until they’re at shoulder height (or slightly higher). Squeeze the muscles in your mid-back as you lift, then slowly lower them back down before repeating the motion. Make sure to keep a slight bend in your elbows throughout the exercise to keep tension on those mid-back muscles.
3. Superman Exercise
The superman exercise is a simple but effective way to work out all of your mid-back muscles without any equipment!
To do this exercise, start by lying face down on a flat surface with legs straight and arms extended above the head (like Superman flying). Then squeeze together all of the muscles in your mid-back as you raise both legs and arms off the ground simultaneously (as if flying). Hold this position for a few seconds before lowering everything back down slowly and repeating as needed. Make sure to keep those mid-back muscles engaged throughout this entire movement!
4. Stability Ball Reaches
This exercise targets your mid-back muscles and helps build core strength. Start by placing your hands and feet on the ground with the stability ball between them. Then, reach out as far as you comfortably can in each direction, keeping your elbows straight and squeezing your shoulder blades together with each reach. Aim for 20 reps per set.
5. Plank With Alternating Arm Reach
This is one exercise that targets the upper and lower portions of the middle back. Start in a plank position with your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, then bring one arm up towards the ceiling while maintaining a steady plank position. Hold for 2 seconds before bringing that arm back down and raising the opposite arm instead. You should aim for eight reps per side per set.
6. Ankle Touching Pushups
Pushups are great for strengthening the middle back muscles, but doing them regularly can become boring quickly. This variation adds an extra challenge by forcing you to engage more of those muscles with each rep. To do this exercise, start in a pushup position with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, then bring one knee towards an elbow as you lower into a pushup before returning to the starting position and repeating with the other leg/arm combo. Aim for ten reps per set.
7. Cobra Stretch
The cobra stretch is one of the practical middle-back exercises to improve back mobility while working on core stability. To do it, lie on your stomach with legs extended behind you and hands placed directly under your shoulders, palms facing down. From here, press into hands as you lift your chest off the ground until your arms are straight, then hold for 5–10 seconds before releasing back down. Repeat ten times as needed focusing on keeping the core engaged throughout the movement.
The Final Thought on At-Home Exercises to Strengthen the Middle Back
Working out regularly can help strengthen and tone your overall body and specific muscle groups like those in the middle of your back! With just a few pieces of equipment (or none!), plenty of exercises can be done at home to help target this area specifically—such as bent-over rows, reverse flyes, and even superman exercises! So give these exercises a try today and feel more vital than ever!
If you or someone you know is considering strengthening your back, share this article on Facebook or Twitter so that others can learn more about exercises for the middle back.
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