Physical exercise can keep you staying healthy. Here are a few tips from an expert on how to stay in shape, easily.
One of the leading causes of injury and illness is a sedentary lifestyle. As a result of physical inactivity people end up getting injured when they attempt to exercise or they lose sight of their fitness goals. This is why a visit to a physical therapist can be beneficial to learning the proper ways to exercise the upper body. Additionally, a physical therapist in a clinic with a well trained staff can ensure that you continue to exercise properly and provide the support you need to reach your health and fitness goals.
Core training is essential to upper body strength because the muscles in your upper body are vital to stabilizing your spine, shoulders, and pelvic area which play an important role when moving your extremities and controlling overall body movement. If your core muscles are strong this can prevent back pain and improve athletic performance. It will also reduce health risks and build bone density and joint mobility. Here are a few tips on the correct exercise methods you should use when working toward upper body strength.
Always Remember to Stretch Properly
Due to a busy lifestyle and daily schedule many people will skip stretching before working the upper body. They simply jump in to their exercise routine in an effort to squeeze it into their schedule which usually results in injury. Proper upper body exercise starts with knowing how to stretch properly. Physical therapists recommend stretching with good posture with your chin up and your shoulders pulled back and stretch the aspects of your body that usually give you difficulty on a daily basis such as drying your hair. Making a habit of stretching will help to restore the mobility and flexibility in these areas and prevent injury during exercise.
Warm Up Properly
Upper body muscles are smaller and more vulnerable than lower body muscles. It is especially important to warm up the upper body muscles before starting your core training session by doing a few minutes of low impact aerobic activity, stretching, and doing a few reps of light weights.
Proper Posture is Essential
When you perform core training exercises proper posture is essential to getting the most out of the exercise. When you work the upper body it is important to be aware of working the back and the abdominals when you are working other upper body parts, since your upper back is part of your core.
While working on your upper body, shoulder blades should be squeezed down and in to maintain proper posture. Draw your stomach in and stand with erect posture, your chin up, and your shoulder blades down and in toward your spine.
For example, if you are working the chest you are also working other muscle groups that involve the back and the abdominals. Without the proper posture you risk injury both during the exercise and after you are finished. Performing the exercise with improper posture will not produce the best results and put you at risk for injury when performing daily activities.
Vary the Exercises
If you perform the same routine every time you exercise the upper body, after a while you will find you are getting limited results because your body gets used to the routine. Instead it is important to design several different routines and vary the intensity of each to confuse the body and challenge it to get better results. For example, if you do bicep curls, triceps curls, and bench presses as one upper body routine change the routine the next time around to include the same muscle groups but worked in a different way.
The main thing to remember is to do upper body exercises faithfully and use good form. If you are not sure how to perform the exercises properly and you could use some guidance you can see a professional physical therapist that will do an evaluation and personalize a program for you. They will also guide you through the program to ensure you are getting the most out of your upper body workout.
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