Weekend Challenge: Upper Body Strengthener

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Exercise

Evidence-Based
3 min Read
weekend challenge

I hope all of you (in the US) had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend! I am sure you noticed that we did not post a Weekend Challenge that Saturday, but weโ€™re continuing with our theme of preventing falls by improving balance, and this weekโ€™s exercise picks up right where we left off.

The Upper Body Strengthener targets your shoulders, arms, and core. Believe it or not, these muscle groups are just as crucial as those in the lower body for balance and fall prevention. Iโ€™ll explain.

Why: The core muscles are located in the center of your body, so they act as a โ€œbridgeโ€ between your torso and legs. Every movement either starts in your core or passes through it, so the importance of these central muscle groups in fall prevention and coordination cannot be overemphasized.

A strong core enables you to twist, turn, and bend while keeping your balance, and in fact, a toned core helps you stand in one place without falling over.

Activities around the house involve your core as you reach overhead, bend over to pick things up or when youโ€™re doing household chores such as sweeping the floor. These activities are much less likely to result in a fall if your core muscles are stable, flexible, and strong. In other words, the Upper Body Strengthener will make you less accident-prone.

Arms and shoulders are also important, and the Upper Body Strengthener works them as well. If you do lose your balance, having strong bones and muscles in your upper body helps you catch your fall. And because the action of muscle on bone increases bone density, your arms and shoulders will be better able to absorb the shock and resist fracture if you do fall.

And of course, all of these muscle groups work together to promote youthful posture, so youโ€™ll appear more confident as youโ€™re rejuvenating your bones.

How: Find a sturdy chair to get started.

upper body strengthener

  1. Put your hands on the seat of the chair, shoulder-width apart.
  2. Tighten your abs and straighten your body so thereโ€™s a straight line from your head to your feet.
  3. Slowly pull one knee forward and up toward your chest. Round your back a little, and imagine pulling your belly button in toward your spine.
  4. Press the foot back to the starting position and straighten out again.
  5. Repeat with the other knee.
  6. Continue to alternate one knee with the other until youโ€™ve done 10 reps on each side or as many as you comfortably can.

Advanced Version

If you donโ€™t find the above version challenging enough, you might prefer the advanced version. Hereโ€™s how to do it:

  1. Begin in a plank position on the floor, with a straight line from your shoulders to your wrists.
  2. Then proceed from #3 above.

Build Your Bones And Your Confidence

Iโ€™ve found that exercises like this one and those in the Denserciseโ„ข Epidensity Training System have made me feel much more confident. Thereโ€™s a certain self-assurance you feel when you know youโ€™re working toward younger, healthier bones and building strong muscles. And I love the youthful energy I get from doing โ€œdensercisesโ€!

Exercise is a vital component to restoring bone health and preventing the bone loss associated with age. And thereโ€™s nothing like getting stronger and more coordinated to help you feel great about yourself.

Iโ€™d like to invite you to check out Denserciseโ„ข, so youโ€™ll regain your posture, strength, energy, and bone density!

Till next time,

vivian sig