Back fat can be stubborn, and it doesn't help that few people know how to target back muscles specifically. Although it's not possible to spot reduce --- that is, melt fat from a particular place on the body --- it is possible to engage, firm and tighten muscles on the posterior body. Yoga provides several back-bending postures designed to target the lats, traps and deep back muscles. Consult with a doctor before doing these moves if you have back problems.
Cobra
The cobra, one of yoga's foundational postures, can be done by almost anyone who can lie belly-down on a mat. Lie in a prone position and place your hands directly underneath your shoulders. Keep the belly, legs and tops of the feet firmly on the ground. To engage the back muscles, press your hands into the ground and lift the chin and chest. Keep elbows tightly at your sides, and maintain a slight bend in the elbow joint. Hold it for three to 10 breaths. Cobra engages the deep muscles of the upper and lower back.
Upward Dog
Much like cobra, upward dog firms the muscles that flank the cervical and lumbar spine. You might think of it as an advanced version of cobra. Begin the same way as the cobra: lying belly-down, tops of the feet firmly planted into the ground. Instead of placing your hands directly underneath your shoulders, line your fingertips with your breast bone. Begin to come in to cobra pose, but don't stop. Lengthen the arms completely, and lift the hips, thighs and shins off the ground.
Once you're in full upward dog, tighten the buttocks and roll the shoulders back --- this will help tone the muscles just above your posterior pelvis and just below your shoulder blades. Hold upward dog for three to five breaths.
Half Locust
Locust posture has multiple variations, each of which targets the deep back muscles. The more advanced the locust, the deeper the muscles that fire up, but half locust is a great starting point if you aim to shed back fat. In a prone position, place your arms along the sides of your body, palms facing up. Place your chin on the ground, and place your feet about hip-distance apart.
Keep the left leg long along the floor and begin to slowly lift the right leg off the ground. Be sure both legs are straight. Try to achieve this lifting motion without firing the muscles of the shoulders or buttocks; relaxing these muscles will force you to recognize which back muscles must fire in order to lift a leg. Next, switch legs. Hold each side for three to 10 breaths, being sure to let go if there's any sharp pain or discomfort.
Prone Boat
Blast your back fat with another of yoga's back-bending postures: prone boat. Begin lying on a mat with your feet about hip-distance apart and arms along the sides of the body with palms facing up. Keeping your legs straight and the backs of the palms on the ground, lift the legs and chest on an inhalation. Stay here for at least one breath or as many as 10 breaths. On each inhalation, try lifting a bit father upward. This upward movement requests a lot of your back muscles.
References
- "Anatomy of Hatha Yoga"; H. David Coulter; 2001
- "Locust Pose"; Yoga Journal; Accessed 2011
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