Quick Back Warm Up

Before starting your workout, it’s important to warm up your back. A proper warm-up helps get your muscles ready, improves how your body moves, and lowers the chance of getting hurt.

This back warm-up routine comes from Jason Klein, a fitness expert who has been featured on Exercises For Injuries (EFI) before. Jason’s approach is simple yet effective, focusing on exercises that wake up your back muscles, improve flexibility, and set you up for a safe and strong workout.

Whether you’re heading to the gym or just want to keep your back feeling great, this routine will help you get moving the right way. Let’s jump in!

Enjoy the warm-up.

Back Warm-Up (Standing Exercises)

The warm-up routine is designed to prepare your back ^[1] and supporting muscles for activity. This emphasizes dynamic stretching and core muscle engagement. Follow these steps for a safe and effective pre-workout stretch.

Dr. Michael Rowe, a chiropractor from SpineCare Decompression and Chiropractic Center in St. Joseph, Michigan, specializes in neck, back, and sciatica pain management. He highlights the critical role of back warm-up exercises in both recovery and prevention of lower back pain:

“After the initial inflammation subsides, typically within 24-48 hours, it’s beneficial to incorporate stretching or warm-ups. Stretching helps reduce tension in the muscles supporting the spine while improving range of motion and overall mobility.”

Dr. Rowe also stresses that if you experience pain during your warm-up, stop immediately. 

“A helpful guideline is, ‘let your pain be your guide.”

By integrating these principles, you can ensure your back is primed for activity while reducing the risk of injury.

Goals

• Increase range of motion, blood flow, and muscle temperature.
• Prepare tight muscles for more intense physical activity.
• Reduce injury risk and enhance performance. 

1. Standing T

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet wider than hip-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head shoulders, and hips.
• Engage your core.
• Hinge through your hips to move your upper body forward about 30–45 degrees while keeping your back straight and knees bent.
• Inhale, bring your hands downward in front of you with palms facing forward.
• Exhale, slowly raise your arms out to the sides until they form a “T” shape in line with your shoulders.
• Hold this position for 2 seconds, squeezing your shoulder blades.
• Lower your arms to return to the starting position.
• Repeat the movement. Complete 12 repetitions.

The “T’s” exercise, explained by Charlie Johnson, strengthens the upper back and shoulders. It helps improve posture and increases shoulder stability. The exercise targets weak muscles like the rear shoulders and shoulder blades.

Strengthening these muscles helps prevent injuries and supports better movement during other exercises. This makes it a key exercise for maintaining strong and healthy shoulders and back.

2. Standing V

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet wider than hip-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head shoulders, and hips.
• Engage your core.
• Hinge through your hips to move your upper body forward about 30–45 degrees while keeping your back straight and knees bent.
• Inhale, bring your hands downward in front of you with palms facing forward.
• Exhale, extend both arms overhead with your palms facing inward, aligned with your ears to form a “V” shape.
• Hold the pose for 2 seconds then lower both hands to return to the starting position.
• Relax and repeat the movement.
• Complete 12 repetitions.

3. Stick-Em Up

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips.
• Stand with your back against a wall, ensuring your upper back, arms, and head should all be in contact with the wall.
• Raise your arms so that your elbows are bent at an angle, with your forearms pointing straight up, forming a “stick-em up” position.
• Slowly slide your arms up the wall, maintaining contact with your shoulders, elbows, and wrists against the wall at all times.
• Raise your arms as high as you can without losing contact, hold this position for 2 seconds then slowly slide them back down to the starting position.
• Repeat the movement for 12 repetitions.

Now you can see they are deceiving. They look easy, but they are pretty hard when you get your elbows on them.

Warm-up exercises are important. Zeus Fitness emphasizes their role in preparing your muscles. They improve flexibility and activate key muscle groups. Warm-ups help prevent injuries and enhance mobility.

They ensure better posture and performance during workouts. According to Zeus Fitness, a proper warm-up increases blood flow to muscles. It reduces stiffness and minimizes the risk of strain. Warm-ups also improve overall workout effectiveness.

Once you’ve completed the standing warm-up exercises, transition to the floor for a series of movements designed to further activate your back muscles and improve spinal mobility.

Back Warm-Up (Floor Exercises)

1. Bird Dog

• Begin in a 4-point position on the floor, with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Contract your abdominal area.
• Take a deep breath and lift your right arm to be in line with your shoulder as you extend your opposite leg behind your body.
• Keep your arm, shoulders, hips, and leg parallel to the floor.
• Lower your arm and leg to return to the starting position.
• Repeat the movement on the opposite side.
• Complete 10 repetitions on each side.

2. Spinal Twist

• Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, maintaining good alignment in your upper body.
• Straighten your right leg and cross your opposite leg over your right, placing your left foot flat on the floor next to your right knee.
• Place your left hand on the floor behind you for support and your right elbow on the outside of your left knee.
• Engage your core and twist your upper body to the left.
• Hold the position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Repeat the movement on the opposite side. 

3. Bridge

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, relaxing your upper body.
• Place your hands at your sides.
• Engage your core, then push from your heels to lift your hips.
• Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Relax and return to the starting position.

4. Cat-Cow

• Begin in a 4-point position on the floor, with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Engage your core.
• Round out your mid back as you slowly drop your head toward your chest.
• Then, alternate by raising your head and arching your mid-back as you bring your gaze towards the sky.
• Repeat the movement, alternating directions.
• Start with 1 set of 5 repetitions.

Why It’s Effective

Standing Exercises:

• Standing T: Activates mid-back muscles, improves posture, and prepares shoulders for lifting or pulling.
• Standing V: Prepares shoulders for overhead movements, activates muscles for reaching and pressing, and enhances range of motion.
• Stick-Em Up: Strengthens small stabilizing muscles in the shoulders and upper back, improves posture, and promotes upper back mobility. 

Floor Exercises:

• Bird Dog: Builds core stability ^[2], improves spinal alignment, and gently activates back muscles.
• Spinal Twist: Enhances spinal mobility, reduces tension in the lower back and hips, and prepares the body for rotational movements.
• Bridge: Strengthens hips, thighs, and glutes, which support the lower back, and increases hip flexibility.
• Cat-Cow: Relieves back and neck tightness ^[3], enhances spinal flexibility, and activates core muscles for stability. 

Safety Considerations

Standing Exercises:

• Avoid arching or rounding your back; hinge at your hips.
• Maintain a slight bend in your knees to protect joints and engage your core.
• Move deliberately without swinging your arms or forcing motions. 

Floor Exercises:

• Keep movements controlled and avoid jerky actions.
• Align your spine and engage your core to stabilize during exercises.
• Ensure proper joint alignment (e.g., hands under shoulders, knees under hips).

Injury Prevention

Standing Exercises:

• Use slow, smooth movements to reduce strain and maintain control.
• Limit the range of motion to what feels comfortable, especially for shoulders.
• Keep a neutral spine and avoid compensating with other muscle groups. 

Floor Exercises:

• Avoid overextending or forcing movements beyond your range of motion.
• Keep hips and shoulders level during exercises like Bird Dog.
• Focus on gradual improvement, ensuring proper form and alignment throughout. 

Conclusion

Warming up your back is a simple but important step to get your body ready for exercise. It helps loosen your muscles, improves how your body moves, and lowers the chance of getting hurt.

By doing easy exercises like the Standing T, Standing V, Stick-Em Up, Bird Dog, and more, you wake up your muscles, increase flexibility, and prepare your back for action. These moves make your workout safer and more effective.

Take a few minutes to do this warm-up before any workout. It’s a small effort that makes a big difference in keeping your back strong and healthy.

Did you know some of your most common daily habits are contributing to your back pain? It’s true! But, once you understand how and why, and you make some easy adjustments, you can start supporting and strengthening your back. It will go back to moving and feeling naturally good! Check out now this 7 Daily Habits for a Healthy Back!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you warm up your back?

Focus on gentle movements that prepare your muscles and joints for activity. Dynamic stretches like arm swings, light twisting, or slow back extensions can get your blood flowing and improve flexibility.

How do I release a locked back?

Ease tightness with light stretches, gradual movement, and heat application. Avoid sudden motions. Gentle yoga poses or lying down and slowly rotating your knees from side to side can also help.

How do you warm up your back for rows?

Practice small, controlled pulling motions with resistance bands or light weights. Activate your back by squeezing your shoulder blades and engaging your core.

How to release upper back tension?

Stretch the muscles between your shoulders by crossing your arms over your chest or doing light rotations. Foam rolling or gentle massage can also ease tight spots.