As a chiropractor, my focus is helping you live a healthier & more fulfilled life by addressing misalignments & tension in the spine. Not only does the spine provides support for your entire body, it also is responsible for functional movement and protecting your precious spinal cord. Needless to say, it is important to take care of!

I have compiled a list here of exercises that you can do at home to “strengthen your spine”, but first let’s clarify what I mean by that. The term “spine strengthening” pertains to strengthening 2 categories of muscles in order to provide more stability AND mobility for your spine.

You want the muscles around your spine to be strong so that they can handle the demands we put on our back daily, and we also want the muscles to be activated effectively in order to move our spines in a way that is safe & sustainable. Plus, having these muscles working together correctly allows you to have better posture & improved functional movement, which means less pain & more longevity for your back!

The large muscles are the ones that run along your spine and make up what you probably think of as your “back muscles”. They are helpful in providing stability for your spine and for moving your extremities & torso. These include the erector spinae muscles, the latissimus dorsi and the trapezius.

The small muscles are actually quite tiny and go from vertebrae to vertebrae. They help hold the spine together and are involved in much of the spine’s movement, such as twisting & bending, as well as your posture. They also provide important information to the brain about where your body is in space (proprioception). These muscles tend to become “weak” due to poor posture and lack of movement. (More accurately they are not firing properly rather than they are becoming physically weak, so the goal is to activate them rather than make them stronger.)

The goal of spine strengthening exercises is to engage the smaller muscles as well as the larger ones to get everything working together. When you are preforming these spine strengthening exercises, keep these pointers in mind:

Imagine the small, postural muscles between your vertebrae turning on and supporting your spine. Mind to muscle connection helps make sure the correct muscles are working.
Think about lengthening your spine with each of these movements. You want to create space in between the vertebrae by extending the spine. This is good for your discs and helps activate the small muscles.
I recommend warming up your spine with cat cow before going into strengthening movements.
A great stretch to do after these exercises is child’s pose.

I have included pictures with descriptions here but please click on the links to view the demonstrative videos & see how it’s done!

First off is Cobra Pose. This is an excellent pose to strengthen the back and improve posture.

Lying face down bring your legs together and your palms faced down right below your shoulders. On an inhale lift your chest off the ground, pulling the shoulder blades down and back. Press your legs and pelvis into the ground. Keep your head in a neutral position with no wrinkles in the back of your neck. You can keep your hands on the ground for support or lift them off the ground for a challenge. Hold for 4-10 breaths & repeat 3-5 times. Check out my video here.

Next we have Superman Pose. This one is a total back strengthener. Start with Cobra Pose to warm up your spinal muscles.

Lie on your belly with arms and legs extended. On an exhale lift everything off the ground. Contract the muscles along your spine and throughout the back of your body. To increase the challenge “swim” by moving opposite arms and opposite legs at the same time. Check out my video here.

Next on the list is the Good Morning. This exercise is an amazing way to strengthen the low back, glutes, hamstrings and the muscles that help stabilize the spine.

Start by standing straight with your arms by your side and the chest lifted. Without bending the spine, hinge forward and lower your torso towards the earth. Imagine you are a fooseball guy with the pole going through your hips. Move your torso as one unit. Come back up with control by contracting the glutes and core while pressing through the feet. Keep a slight bend in your knees to protect the low back. Check out my video here.

Last on the list is the Deadlift. Deadlifts are good for increasing strength and improving posture, among other things. However, I do see a fair amount of people in my office who injure themselves doing these, so please go slow and focus on form first. Master the Good Morning exercise before moving on to the Deadlift.

To begin, stand with your feet shoulder width apart, holding weights in each hand. Engage the core to protect the low back by pulling the belly button towards the spine and slightly tucking the tailbone, just enough to feel your lower back and core turn on. Keep the shoulders down and back and the neck in a neutral position. Maintain a slight bend in the knees.

HINGE FROM THE HIPS rather than bending the spine. The movement all occurs around the hip joints with the back staying completely straight as you lower down slowly (see the above Good Morning exercise). Send your hips back making sure that your knees do not move forward past your toes. Lower the weights to mid-shin height, you do not need to go all the way to the ground. To come up, press through the heels while you squeeze the core and glutes. Start with lower weight and build your way up slowly. You can check out my video here.

All of these have numerous benefits for your overall health. Try doing them several times a week to activate the muscles of your back and build up a stronger spine. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to reach out!