Sore Back Exercise – Pulling to Improve Strength

Some of the best sore back exercise involve pulling motions to help strengthen the back.

Why Pulling?

Pulling exercises strengthen the upper and middle back, rear deltoids (shoulders), and the biceps and triceps in the upper arm.

These pulling exercises all influence your posture, and, in turn help to improve your balance.

How can Pulling be a Good Sore Back Exercise?

Pulling exercises correct length/tension imbalances in the body, particularly around the spine with the stretching and strengthening movements that work the muscles directly surrounding your spine.

As the muscles get stronger and more elongated your range of motion increases along with an increase in muscle tone.

This helps to protect your back and other joints from injury, as well as improving your posture aligning your body in its natural state.

Pilates exercises are well known to use spring tension and straps for pulling to stretch and strengthen the muscles of the spine for better alignment and less pain.

Some of The Best Sore Back Exercise listed below involve Pulling:

· Lat Rowing Exercise:

Use a cable machine or Pilates band anchored to something firm.

Sitting or standing tall with both hands on the cable or band handles and palms facing the body pull your elbows straight back until your hands come to your waist.

Your forearms should stay parallel to the floor. Feel your shoulder blades draw together or toward your spine as you pull the tension.

This sore back exercise helps to improve posture and decrease pain in the upper back and neck by strengthening muscles of the mid and upper back.

· Pull ups

Using a straight bar overhead, or the new Hoist machines in gyms that displace your weight.

You can choose an overhand (narrow or wide grip), underhand grip, or palms facing each other grip. All grips involve a pulling action working slightly different muscle groups of the back and upper body.

With your body extended bend your arms pulling your chin up until it is level with the overhead bar, then lower and repeat as many as you can do with good form for 2-3 sets.

· Lat Pull Downs

Using a cable machine with the long overhead hanging bar position yourself just slightly behind it with your legs anchored. Tilt your body about ten degrees back grabbing the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with an overhand grip.

Pull the bar to your breastbone drawing the elbows down and back toward your spine. Keep your chin parallel to the floor, not looking up but out in front of you.

This exercise helps to strengthen the Latissimus Dorsi muscles that run the length of the back on either side of the spine helping to support the back in twisting and turning motions.

· Reverse Push Ups or Inverted Row

Using a straight bar on a rack or Smith Machine with the bar set around waist height.

Position yourself under the bar with your hands on top and slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Walk your feet out until your body is completely extended with heels on floor and toes up. Your chest should be square with the bar and arms are extended at chest level.

Bend your arms pulling your chest up to the bar keeping your abdominals tight and body aligned straight. Lower and repeat for as many as you can repeat with good form.

· Pilates Reformer/Rowing Back

Sitting tall on the Reformer facing backwards and holding the straps you can try many different pulling exercises.

First, try the bicep curl bending at the elbow and bringing your hands toward your armpits.

Next, pull your elbows straight back as your hands come to your waist like rowing.

And finally, with your arms straight press your palms down to the floor and then back behind your body.

Repeat these exercises for 8 –10 repetitions each or to fatigue.

· Pilates Reformer/Long Box Pulling Straps

Using the Reformer under a watchful eye is a great way to improve your posture and back strength helping to realign your spine.

Lying on your stomach with your chest just off the front edge of the long box grab the straps, one in each hand. Inhale as you push the straps with straight arms down to the floor and back to your hips exhaling, bringing your head and chest up stretching the front of the spine. Inhale to hold it and then exhale as you release and come back to start.

Repeat for 6-8 repetitions adding a triceps extension at the end of the pull for another set.

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