Have You Been Neglecting Your Back? Don't!

Looking at the Spring trends that emerged at New York Fashion Week, we're seeing lots of exposed shoulders and racerback necklines paired with flowy skirts and loose pants. This open-shoulder look that Eva Longeria recently wore on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert exemplifies the trend perfectly. We are not here to talk fashion, but this trend is an indication that backs are the new butt. Let us explain.

For the past few years, the Internet seemed almost soley obsessed — fitness wise — with workouts to tone, lift, and sculpt the butt for a fuller, firmer derrière to rock the tight-fitting body-con looks; but it's time to move the focus upward and start working the back and shoulders. This is not to say we should abandon glute work. Having a strong butt is important for your overall fitness (and to rock a bikini). Remember, defined deltoids create a sculpted shoulder and can make your waist look smaller too.

When it comes to strength training, the back is often neglected; what you can't see in the mirror doesn't need to be worked, right? Wrong. There is a tendancy to focus solely on the abs, but true core strength involves your entire torso — back included. When the abs and the back work in tandem, the body as whole moves more effiently, placing less stress on the hips, knees, and ankles.

Also consider the amount of time we spend hunched over keyboards, steering wheels, and cell phones and what it does to our bodies. Our back muscles and the connective tissue in the spine tend be over stretched and weak, and this wreaks havoc on your posture. Slouching not only leads to back and neck pain, but it can also adversely affect your digestion since it squishes all your organs as they work hard to process food into energy. On the vanity tip, slouching can also make you look up to 10 pounds heavier.

Now that you know why you need to work your back and shoulders, here are four moves that do just that.