Upcoming Featured Poses: Upper Body Strength and Flexibility!

by Nina (with Baxter)

Baxter and I have been excitedly planning (and photographing) the next group of poses we’re going to feature on our blog. Inspired by the popularity of my post Building Upper Body Strength the Easy Way, we decided to focus on the upper body for the next several months. We’ll be presenting several basic, easily accessible poses, all with several modifications, that will help you both build your upper body strength while you increase flexibility in your arms, shoulders, chest, and upper back.

Before getting started with the individual poses, we thought we’d take a moment to say something about why upper body strength and flexibility is so important for healthy aging.

With our current shift to more sedentary work styles, for many of us, our upper bodies are typically underused. Because we’re no longer carrying, lifting, and reaching on a regular basis, our upper bodies are not at their optimal levels of strength and function. And even those of us who exercise regularly by walking, running, or cycling, can become imbalanced due to neglecting our upper bodies.

I think that it’s important to most if not all of us that we maintain our independence as we age. For the elderly, upper body weakness has a significant effect on everyday activities, including the most basic ones, such as getting out of a chair, taking care of your home, and carrying your groceries. We also need to work on upper body flexibility, as people who are tight in upper back, shoulder and chest areas can have difficulty taking items off shelves or even dressing themselves.

Working your upper body also helps optimize your circulatory system, keep the connective tissue around your nerves mobile, and facilitate communication between your upper body and your brain, all of which will contribute to keeping your body healthier as you age.  

So stay tuned! Hmmm, what is Baxter doing with that block?