Baby got back – why a strong back is your midlife superpower

As midlife and peri/menopausal women, one area of the body that always needs a bit of love and attention is your back. Think of your back as the scaffold of your body – a structure that keeps you upright and supported... but which might get a bit rusty and creaky if left unused for too long.

Over time, because many of us spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, and because so many of our regular activities (lifting kids, hoiking shopping bags, cleaning etc) use the muscles at the front of the body, the muscles at the back often get neglected. This imbalance can eventually lead, at worst, to that dreaded elderly person slump – rounded shoulders, forward head posture like a tortoise – and at best to a back that feels weaker than it should.

To combat this, we need to keep those back muscles active, strong and ready to take on old age (and, y'know, life in the meantime).

At Fitbitch HQ, these are our four favourite back exercises for posture, strength and confidence, all of which you'll find in our courses (suitable for beginners to advanced fitness slags):

1. Bent-over row

Kelly demo-ing, from our Beast Mode course.

Targets big, powerful lat muscles (aka the fan-shaped muscles running from your armpits to your lower ribs), as well as your mid-back and rear shoulders. Perfect for strength and pulling power.

2. Banded reverse fly

Vic and Kelly in one of our Bodyweight & Resistance Bands workouts

Targets upper and mid-back muscles, or to be scientific about it, rear delts and rhomboids. These are the muscles that literally pull your shoulders back and keep your chest open. Think 90s Barbie (with more realistic body standards).

3. Dumbbell pullover

Vic & Kelly in our Ultimate Strong Body course

Targets lats, chest, triceps and even a bit of your core. This is a great way to work a range of upper-body muscles in one move.

4. Single-arm dumbbell deadlift

Targets the 'posterior chain' – glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors, and upper back – while challenging your core and helping your grip. Did you know grip strength is one of the best indicators of living a long life? Working out one side at a time also helps iron out strength imbalances.

Bottom line: strong back muscles keep you standing tall, reduce the risk of injury and make everyday life feel easier. Work on them regularly, and your old lady self will thank you.