How’s your upper body strength?
If you’re like many people, those arms aren’t nearly as strong as they could be.
In this article, we will discuss why upper body strength is important to seniors and Dr. Katie, PT, DPT will show you five upper body exercises you can do anywhere!
Why Is Upper Body Strength Important for Seniors?
As you likely know if you’ve read other articles on this site, or if you’ve spoken to your primary care physician or physical therapist, we all lose strength as we age (even if we continue to exercise).
Basically, it’s one of those “life isn’t fair” moments. Despite all efforts and exercise routines, older adults must work harder to gain and maintain strength because they are fighting the natural processes that occur with aging.
This is true in all muscles of the body, but we need our upper body strong for things like pushing off from a bed or chair (especially if we’ve experienced an injury to our lower body), lifting grandkids or pets from the floor, pushing off from the floor, holding the blow dryer overhead, and preventing fractures or injury if a fall occurs.
We want to aim for our upper (arms/back/chest) and lower (legs/abs/glutes/low back) body to be equally strong in case we do injure ourselves. Also, when we rely on just one area of the body being strong, we risk causing injury to that area because it’s overworking when it doesn’t need to.
As a former rehab therapist, I can attest that many people who have experienced a hip replacement have a hard time getting discharged home, simply because they don’t have the strength to push up to get themselves out of bed.
So keep up with your upper body strength to ensure you stay fit, healthy, and maintain your independence!
5 Exercises to Improve Upper Body Strength
Click HERE for a video of Dr. Katie Landier, PT, DPT performing all the exercises.
1. Overhead Lift
- Place hands on towel or resistance band, shoulder distance apart.
- Pull hands away from each other to create tension between the hands.
- Lift arms overhead, maintaining tension.
- Slowly lower arms back down towards thighs, maintaining tension.
- Repeat 10-15 times.
- Rest 1-3 minutes.
- Repeat for 3 sets.
2. Lat Pull Down
- Place hands on towel or resistance band, shoulder distance apart.
- Pull hands away from each other to create tension between the hands.
- Lift arms overhead, maintaining tension.
- Keeping elbows straight, pull right arm down towards floor.
- Slowly return right arm to overhead position.
- Repeat on left side.
- This is one repetition.
- Repeat 10-15 times.
- Rest 1-3 minutes.
- Repeat for 3 sets.
3. Chest Press
- Place hands on towel or resistance band, shoulder distance apart.
- Pull hands away from each other to create tension between the hands.
- Lift hands to shoulder height.
- Bend elbows so hands come towards chest.
- Straighten elbows so hands return to starting position.
- Repeat 10-15 times.
- Rest 1-3 minutes.
- Repeat for 3 sets.
4. Rotator Cuff Exercise
- Place hands inside looped band.
- Bend elbows to 90 degrees.
- Squeeze shoulder blades together so they are close to the spine.
- Press hands into band so there’s tension throughout the whole loop.
- Lift arms overhead, maintaining tension and keeping shoulder blades squeezing towards spine (only lift as high as you can keep shoulder blades stable).
- Slowly lower arms back down, maintaining tension.
- Repeat 10-15 times.
- Rest 1-3 minutes.
- Repeat for 3 sets.
5. Bicep Curls
- Place hands on towel or resistance band, shoulder distance apart.
- Pull hands away from each other to create tension between the hands.
- Lift hands to shoulder height, palms facing the floor.
- Keeping tension in the band, bend the elbows so hands come towards shoulders.
- Straighten elbows to starting position.
- Repeat 10-15 times.
- Rest 1-3 minutes.
- Repeat for 3 sets.