Guide # Back exercises with no equipment You do not need a gym to look after a sore back. You need a floor, a few minutes, and a routine that gets slightly harder over time. By [the Remedy team](https://remedyrecoveries.com/about#editorial) · Published October 15, 2026 · Updated October 23, 2026 · 2 min read · 2 sources On this page - [What does a home back routine need?](#what-it-needs) - [Progress by getting harder, not just longer](#progress) - [Keeping it safe](#safety) - [How Remedy fits](#how-remedy-fits) - [Questions](#questions) - [Sources](#sources) Key takeaways - A useful home routine covers mobility, core stability, and hip and back strength. - Progress by moving to harder versions, not by adding endless reps. - Sharp pain or pain spreading down a leg means stop that movement. ## What does a home back routine need? A useful back routine is not a random set of stretches. It covers three things: - **Mobility**: moving your spine and hips through a comfortable range. Examples: [cat-cow stretch](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/cat-cow), [open-book rotation](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/open-book-rotation), and knees rocking side to side while lying on your back. - **Core stability**: holding your trunk steady while your arms and legs move. Examples: [bird dog](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/bird-dog), [dead bug](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/dead-bug), and [side plank from the knees](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/side-plank-knees). - **Hip and back strength**: the muscles that do the work when you lift, carry, and climb stairs. Examples: [glute bridge](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/glute-bridge), [single-leg glute bridge](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/single-leg-glute-bridge), [bodyweight squat](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/bodyweight-squat), and [split squat](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/split-squat). Guidelines like NICE’s recommend exercise programs for low back pain without naming one “best” exercise [1], and research comparing exercise types finds benefits across several [2]. What matters more is doing a sensible mix regularly. ## Progress by getting harder, not just longer Doing thirty easy glute bridges is less useful than moving on to a harder version. A simple ladder looks like this: glute bridge, then single-leg bridge. For hinges, the [hip hinge](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/bodyweight-hip-hinge) leads to the [single-leg Romanian deadlift](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/single-leg-romanian-deadlift). For stability work, short holds of around eight to ten seconds, repeated, tend to work better than one long shaky hold. Remedy works the same way: once an exercise reaches 15 reps, the program swaps in a harder variant instead of adding more. This is also why a routine needs weeks to show results; [how long to stick with it](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/how-long-to-stick-with-a-back-routine) covers what to expect. ## Keeping it safe - Move slowly and with control. Speed is not the goal. - Mild, general discomfort that settles afterwards is common when you start. Sharp pain, or pain that spreads down a leg, is a reason to stop that movement. - If an exercise always makes things worse, swap it for another in the same group. Mornings are a good time for the mobility part if you [wake up stiff](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/morning-back-stiffness). If your back trouble started in the gym, [the gym guide](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/sore-back-after-gym) covers how to train around it. ## How Remedy fits Remedy asks what equipment you have, and a floor-only program is fully supported. Every exercise has a demonstration video, and the program moves you up to harder variants over the weeks instead of piling on reps. [How the program is built](https://remedyrecoveries.com/how). ## Exercises in this guide [Mobility ### Cat-cow stretch An all-fours movement that alternates rounding and arching your spine. No equipment · Gentle](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/cat-cow) [Core and stability ### Bird dog exercise From your hands and knees, you reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back while keeping your back still. No equipment · Beginner](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/bird-dog) [Core and stability ### Dead bug exercise A core exercise done on your back: you slowly lower an opposite arm and leg while keeping your trunk still. No equipment · Beginner](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/dead-bug) [Glutes and hips ### Glute bridge Lying on your back with knees bent, you drive through your heels to lift your hips. No equipment · Beginner](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/glute-bridge) [Glutes and hips ### Single-leg glute bridge A glute bridge on one leg, with the other leg held straight. No equipment · Intermediate](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/single-leg-glute-bridge) [Core and stability ### Side plank from the knees A shorter-lever side plank with your knees on the floor. No equipment · Intermediate](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/side-plank-knees) [Strength ### Bodyweight squat A controlled squat with no load. No equipment · Beginner](https://remedyrecoveries.com/exercises/bodyweight-squat) ## Questions ### Can you strengthen your back without equipment? Yes. Bodyweight exercises like the bird dog, glute bridge, single-leg bridge, side plank, and hip hinge build real strength when you progress them to harder versions over time. ### How many times a week should I do a home back routine? Three or more short sessions a week is a common target. Consistency over several weeks matters more than the length of any one session. ## When to see someone instead of using an app Get medical care, not an exercise routine, if you have back pain with any of these: - Numbness or tingling around your genitals or buttocks - Trouble peeing, or loss of bladder or bowel control - Numbness, tingling, or weakness in one or both legs that is getting worse - Back pain after a fall, car accident, or other injury - A fever, or feeling unwell, along with back pain - Unexplained weight loss, or a history of cancer - Pain that is severe, constant, and gets worse at night or when lying down - Pain that keeps getting worse over several weeks instead of better [More on the warning signs](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/when-to-see-a-doctor-for-back-pain) ## Sources - [Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management (NG59)](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng59). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2016, updated 2020. - Owen PJ, et al. [Which specific modes of exercise training are most effective for treating low back pain? Network meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-100886). *British Journal of Sports Medicine*. 2020;54(21):1279-1287. This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. [How we write our guides](https://remedyrecoveries.com/about#editorial). Keep reading ## Related guides [Guide ### Lower back pain exercises The kinds of exercise that help a sore lower back, with a simple routine to start.Read the guide](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/lower-back-pain-exercises)[Guide ### Core exercises for back pain What “core” really means for a sore back, and a progression from floor to standing.Read the guide](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/core-exercises-for-back-pain)[Guide ### Sore back after the gym Normal soreness vs a tweak, and how to keep training without guessing.Read the guide](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/sore-back-after-gym) ## Get a back program you can actually keep Free to download on the App Store. Answer a few questions and your first session is ready in minutes. [](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/remedy-back-pain-relief/id6813745106)[Read the guides](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/) --- Source: https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/back-exercises-no-equipment Remedy is a fitness and wellness app, not medical care.