How To Do Back Extension Exercises Video

Back extension exercises target muscle groups in the back, especially the lower back, to improve overall health, mobility, and core strength. Learn how to do back extension exercises in this stretching and flexibility video.

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Works muscles lining spine
Don't put pressure on neck
For beginning to advanced
Avoid turning neck

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Amy McCauley has been a certified personal fitness trainer since 1995. She specializes in pilates, combat cardio, core conditioning and overall strength training. She works with clients ranging in age from 16 - 69. She has worked at Gold's Gym in Wilmington, NC since 2006. She loves her job because it gives her the opportunity to change peoples' lives in a positive way.

AMY MCCAULEY: Hi, I'm going to show you how to do a lower back extension. Take the hands, place them one on top of the other. It doesn't matter which one. Your head can either drop, so that your head is down or your chin is on your hands, whichever is most comfortable, just don't put a lot of pressure on your neck. You take the feet, lift them up off the floor about two inches. We're going to inhale as we lift up. We're working the muscles that lined your spinal cord. These are your erector spinae from the base of the neck all the way down to your pelvis. And lowering. Range of motion is going to be your call. Lift and lower. If this is uncomfortable for you, take your hands down by your chest, tuck in your elbows, and I'm just going to keep doing the back extensions, lifting your legs 2 to 3 inches off the floor as you're pressing lightly into the mat. So option number one is for beginner level, hands down the floor. Option number two is for advanced to intermediate: We're lifting up and lowering. You're going to hold for about 2 seconds and then release, repeating 8 to 12 reps and two to 3 sets. Key things to remember: We're going to avoid complete hyperextension of the back, keeping the chin lifted but not putting pressure in the neck, so we don't want to turn the neck. Step number two is lifting up off the floor. Belly button is trying to clear off the floor but chest definitely clears off the floor. Step number three is to breathe out. Step number four is to lower. So one, two, three, lift and hold, and four, lower. And that's how we do our back extensions.

How to Do Back Extension Exercises Video

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