Skip to content

Take the guesswork out of eating right with new meal plan recipes.

Content starts here

CLOSE ×

Red Membership Card

AARP MEMBERSHIP

Join AARP for just $15 for your first year when you sign up for automatic renewal. Gain instant access to exclusive products, hundreds of discounts and services, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.

Superman Into Shape

This simple exercise can strengthen lower-back muscles

By

Staying Sharp

Updated April 21, 2023

Updated April 21, 2023

A woman doing the Superman exercise on a yoga mat inside a home

zoranm/Getty Images

Quick Win

A flying pose can help increase strength and stability to help prevent back pain and keep you mobile.

Try This Today

Lie down on your stomach, then raise both your arms and legs at the same time, as though you are a flying superhero.
Hold for two to five seconds. If this is too much, lift one arm and its opposite leg at a time, and hold. Lift your limbs only as far as feels comfortable.
Bring your arms and legs back to the floor, and rest momentarily. Repeat five times.

Why

Lower-back pain is a common, debilitating condition. Among U.S. adults 45 and older, more than 44 percent reported having back pain in the previous months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Superman pose may help increase mobility and physical function, and it can ease back pain by strengthening the lower back. In a study of 21 young men reported in 2021 in the International Journal of Exercise Science, researchers found the Superman pose was an effective exercise for strengthening the deep muscle in the lower back that helps stabilize the core.

Legal Disclaimer

Best Of

More From Staying Sharp

A woman power walking through a neighborhood

Practice Good Walking Form

Put a spring in your step with the right technique

MEMBERS ONLY

Three women looking out at something

'Wander Women' Cross the Country

Hitting the hiking trails to explore, stay active, find joy

A woman demonstrating a ballet dance to an adult class

Dancing May Support Mood

From country to tango, different types of dance can improve memory and focus

Most Popular

Benefits Recommended For You

Legal Disclaimer: Staying Sharp, including all content and features, is offered for informational purposes and to educate users on brain health care and medical issues that may affect their daily lives. Staying Sharp is based on a holistic, lifestyle approach to brain health that encourages users to incorporate into their daily lives activities that are associated with general wellness. Nothing in the service should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Features including the Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins, Additional Tests, exercises, and challenges assess performance at a particular moment in time on certain discrete cognitive tasks. Staying Sharp games are intended for entertainment and recreational purposes only. Various factors may affect performance, including sleep, tiredness, focus, and other social, environmental, or emotional factors. Performance is not indicative of cognitive health and not predictive of future performance or medical conditions.

Unused AARP Rewards points expire 12 months after they are earned, in monthly batches on a rolling basis.