The healthy back workout

First, you’ll need a stability ball and a pair of light 2-3kg hand weights. Stability balls are great for working your core muscles because these are the muscles you use to sit up straight on the ball. You can buy a stability ball (from £29), and a video (£15.99) from the Chek Institute, an American company in London that specialises in core training. To find out more, call 0208 874 6942 or log on to www.chekinstitute.com. Hand weights are available at most sports shops.

The back workout below should take 15 to 20 minutes, and you should do it two to three times a week. These exercises target your core muscles, abdominals and lats, all of which are important for back strength.

Warm up
‘If you’re adding these exercises to the end of a regular workout, you don’t need to warm up,’ says Barrett. ‘If not, warm up by walking briskly or jogging for five to 10 minutes.’

The moves

1. Sitting up
   Difficulty rating: easy
   This is a great exercise for beginners. Start by sitting on the stability ball and try to remain sitting up straight, with your shoulders relaxed and hands by your side for five minutes. This is harder than you might think, so when you start getting tired, imagine what is happening deep in your torso, and contract your core muscles to keep your back straight.
2. Lateral raises
   Difficulty rating: fairly easy
   Sit on the ball as you did in the previous exercise, holding the hand weights down by your sides. Then, lift both arms straight out to the side, with your palms facing the floor, bringing your hands up to shoulder level. Repeat 20 times.
3. Back raises
   Difficulty rating: moderate
   Lie across the ball on your stomach so that your hips rest just beneath and to the side of the top of the ball. Rest your feet on the floor. You can either place your hands on the ball for support or, if you’re feeling strong, put your hands on either side of your head. Lift and lower your upper body, keeping your lower body still. Repeat 20 times.
4. Sit-ups
   Difficulty rating: hard
   Lie across the ball on your back so the middle of your back rests on the top of the ball. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your back shouldn’t be arched. Do sit-ups as normal. To make this move easier, cross your hands over your chest, and to make it harder, place your hands on either side of your head. ‘Sit-ups on a stability ball work far deeper into your core than normal sit-ups, because you have to support your body against the ball’s movement as well as curl your body upward,’ says Barrett. Repeat 20 times.
5. Press ups
   Difficulty rating: hard
   From an all-fours position, place your feet up on the ball so that you’re facing the floor, your shins are resting across the top of the ball and your hands are flat on the floor. Bend your arms and do as many press-ups as you can manage. ‘The important thing here is not working out your arms, but concentrating on keeping your abdominals strong and not letting your back slouch, even if you can only do one or two full press-ups,’ he says.

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