Experts break down five simple exercises to add to your daily routine for back strength.
Building a strong back should be a major priority in your routine. The muscles in your back help you move, turn, twist, bend, turn, lift, stand, walk, and run. Boosting your back strength is essential to live an active, independent life. Simple tasks like tying your shoes and getting in and out of your chair for dinner all require a strong back. So without further ado, we learned five daily exercises that will help to restore your back strength even faster than floor workouts after 55. It’s never too late to start to strengthen your back, and you’ll be glad you did.
“After 55, muscle mass in the posterior chain decreases, fascia loses hydration and becomes restrictive, spinal discs compress, and deep stabilizing muscles go quiet from underuse,” explains Chancy Gill, LMT, co-owner of Syringa Bodwork in Hayden, Idaho. “Decades of desk posture weaken the glutes and shorten the hip flexors, leaving the lower back to carry a load it was never meant to handle. The result: stiffness, reduced mobility, chronic fatigue, and a higher risk of injury. Floor stretches and crunches rarely fix this, especially when restricted fascia is preventing the muscles from firing correctly.”
For those 55+, the most challenging barrier to exercise isn’t about motivation, but rather comfortability and accessibility. Traditional gym sessions can sometimes feel intimidating or inconvenient, which can cause inconsistency.
“At-home exercises eliminate these barriers, allowing people to train at their own pace in an environment that is comfortable,” explains Josh York, Founder & CEO, GYMGUYZ. “These workouts can also be tailored to ability and mobility levels, making them impactful for functional movements.”
Below, experts break down their top daily exercises that help restore back strength quicker than floor workouts.
Standing Hip Hinges
The standing hip hinge engages the hamstrings, lumbar extensors, and glutes.
“Hinge from the hips—not the waist—sending them back while keeping a long, neutral
spine. Drive through the heels to return,” explains Gill. “Repatterns the body to load the posterior chain instead of the lower back. Add light dumbbells as it becomes comfortable.”
- Stand tall, feet hip-width apart.
- Place your hands behind your head.
- Press your hips back while maintaining a tall chest.
- As you hinge forward, feel a solid stretch in your hamstrings.
- Activate your hamstrings and glutes to drive your hips forward.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Resistance Band Rows
This exercise engages the lats, lower trapezius, and rhomboids.
“Anchor a band at chest height and pull both hands toward the ribcage, squeezing the
shoulder blades together at the end of each rep,” explains Gill. “The primary antidote to rounded-shoulder posture. Easily done seated if needed.”
- Begin by anchoring a resistance band to a sturdy pole at chest level.
- Stand tall, facing the anchor point.
- Hold the handles with both hands.
- Bend your elbows and pull the band toward your body.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Extend your arms back to the start position.
- Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Standing Glute Kickbacks
This move fires up the hamstrings, glutes, and lumbar stabilizers.
- Begin standing tall with your hands placed on a sturdy chair back for balance.
- Maintain an upright spine as you extend one leg straight back—squeezing the glute at the top of the movement.
- Hold for one count before lowering with control.
- Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps on each side.
Wall Pushups
“Wall pushups are modified pushups targeting the chest, shoulders, and arms,” York says.
- Begin standing tall, arms-length away from a wall.
- Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the surface.
- Engage your core and bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the wall.
- Press back up to the starting position, keeping the movement slow and controlled.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Chair Squats
“Chair squats are modified standard squats to aid in legs, glutes, and core strength,” York points out.
- Begin by standing tall in front of a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart on the ground.
- Activate your core and keep your chest lifted.
- Bend at the knees and hips and lower slowly into a squat—as if you’re about to sit down. Make sure your weight stays in your heels.
- Lightly touch the surface of the chair with your glutes.
- Press through your heels to rise back up.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home. Read more about Alexa
