VoltraBack exercises: a stronger back, and what helps back pain
For a stronger back, pulling exercises do the work: pull-ups or lat pulldowns, and rows. Train them as part of strength training on 2 or more days a week [1].
For low back pain, the advice is to stay active and keep up your normal activities, and exercise programmes are among the recommended treatments [2] [3]. Some back pain needs a doctor first: see the warning signs below [4].
8 back exercises in Voltra
All eight are in Voltra's exercise library and its programs. The reps are the range the app starts you on.
| Exercise | Equipment | Voltra's reps |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-up | Pull-up bar | 5 to 12 |
| Lat pulldown | Cable machine | 8 to 15 |
| Barbell row | Barbell | 5 to 10 |
| Dumbbell row | Dumbbell | 8 to 15 |
| Seated cable row | Cable machine | 10 to 15 |
| Chest-supported row | Dumbbells and a bench | 10 to 15 |
| Inverted row | A bar at waist height | 8 to 20 |
| Superman | None | 12 to 20 |
Pull-ups and pulldowns bring your arms down from overhead; rows pull them back towards your body. The inverted row and the Superman need no gym.
How often to train your back
The WHO recommends muscle-strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week [1]; back exercises belong in those sessions, next to your chest and legs.
Exercise and low back pain
- Keep moving. NICE advises encouraging people to continue with their normal activities [2], and the NHS advises staying active, with walking, swimming, yoga and pilates among the activities it suggests [4].
- Exercise is a treatment. NICE says to consider a group exercise programme (biomechanical, aerobic, mind–body or a combination) for a flare-up, chosen to suit the person [2], and the WHO's 2023 guideline lists exercise programmes among the treatments for chronic low back pain [3].
- The WHO advises against lumbar braces, belts and supports, and against traction, for chronic low back pain [3].
- It's common: about 1 in 13 people had low back pain in 2020, 619 million people [3].
- If an exercise makes the pain worse, stop and see a doctor [4].
When to see a doctor first
The NHS lists these warning signs [4]:
- Get urgent help if you have back pain and feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell, or if the pain is severe, starts suddenly or gets worse quickly.
- Go to the emergency department if back pain comes with pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs; a loss of feeling around the genitals or anus; changes in your bladder or bowels, such as difficulty peeing; changes in sexual function; chest pain; or if it started after a serious accident.
How Voltra fits in
All eight exercises are in Voltra's Exercise Library, each with a how-to video and the rep range above, and Voltra's programs already use them. Add any of them to a workout with Add exercise and log your sets as you go.
Frequently asked
What are the best exercises for your back?
Pulling exercises: pull-ups or lat pulldowns, and rows with a barbell, dumbbell or cable. Train them on 2 or more days a week as part of strength training, as the WHO recommends for all the major muscle groups.
Should I exercise with low back pain?
Usually, yes. NICE and the NHS advise staying active and continuing your normal activities, and exercise programmes are among the recommended treatments. Stop if an exercise makes the pain worse, and see a doctor.
What should I do for a pulled (strained) back?
Keep moving gently and carry on with your daily activities, as the NHS advises; walking and swimming are among the activities it suggests. Stop anything that makes the pain worse, and get urgent help if you have any of the warning signs on this page.
Do back braces help back pain?
The WHO's 2023 guideline advises against lumbar braces, belts and supports for chronic low back pain, and against traction.
When is back pain an emergency?
Go to the emergency department if back pain comes with pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs, a loss of feeling around the genitals or anus, changes in your bladder or bowels, chest pain, or if it started after a serious accident (NHS).
Sources
- World Health Organization (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Recommendations for adults.
- NICE (2016). Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management (NG59). Recommendations 1.2.1 and 1.2.2.
- World Health Organization (2023). WHO releases guidelines on chronic low back pain. News release for the WHO guideline on non-surgical management of chronic primary low back pain in adults.
- NHS. Back pain. When to get urgent help, and staying active.
Sources checked on 2 October 2026.
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