Things You'll Need:
- Hand weights
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Step 1
These exercises are best if done lying on your stomach on the floor. It can be hard on your back to do these while lying on a soft, un-supportive couch or bed. If your low back tends to be sensitive, you can modify these movements by placing a pillow underneath your stomach and hip bones. This will prevent the back from arching while exercising. For all of these exercises, to protect the back keep the abdominal and buttocks muscles tight.
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Step 2
Bent row. Using hand held weights place your knuckles on the floor and lift your elbows up. Your palms are facing your body. Your elbows should be bent at a 90-degree angle. Keep your elbows in line above your wrists. Keep this alignment and lift your elbows straight up to the ceiling while squeezing your shoulder blades together. As you lift the weight off the floor, keep your elbows bent and your hands still. Do not straighten the elbows or swing the hands out. Basically, you are just lifting the weights straight up off the floor. Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower. Do eight to twelve repetitions.
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Step 3
Stretch your arms overhead with the palms facing the floor. Keep your shoulders down away from your ears. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and either lift both arms straight up or alternate one arm at a time if needed. Only lift as high as you can without hurting your lower back. Focus on using the muscles between your shoulder blades to lift the arms. Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower. Do eight to twelve repetitions.
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Step 4
Bring your arms down by your sides with the palms facing up. Your hands are next to your hips. Tighten the muscles between your shoulder blades and lift the arms straight up. To make this exercise more difficult place your hands with the palms up on your buttocks and lift up and down from there. Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower. Do eight to twelve repetitions.
