Arm Work That is Not a Pain

As much as I enjoy most exercise activities, I am not fond of weight lifting and exercise machines. For years, I used the gym machines for my upper body strengthening, and included chest presses, shoulder lifts, and flys on a regular basis. When I started to have a chronic problem with my right shoulder and neck, my physical therapist suggested that my machine workout might be the culprit. So I took his advice and stopped using machines for my upper body workout. Within a month or so, I stopped having pain. I also stopped all of my upper body strengthening workouts!

So for the next six months or so, I did little to nothing to improve my arms and shoulders. One day, I looked in the mirror and noticed that I was developing flabby arms. These were particularly noticeable when I decided to wear a sleeveless top. I certainly didn't have the toned arms that Michelle Obama is known for! I was losing muscle tone, which can be a problem as we get older.
As I have said in an previous blog, I started doing push-ups on a regular basis, which definitely helped. But I felt that I needed to do even more.

I saw a class at my gym called Integrated Strength, that was described as emphasizing muscle strength and endurance. I decided to try it. The instructor that leads the class I attend uses no equipment except a strap at the end for our stretching. Light free weights are optional but not required. We start out doing various repetitive arm exercises. We do 30 arm circles, arm raises, and triceps curls, all without using weights. It is surprising how exhausted our arms feel right after we finish doing a set of these kinds of arm exercises. But we stretch out and the pain does not last. We continue with leg work and core exercises and end ever class with about 15-20 minutes of stretching.

I have been doing Integrated Strength regularly for about 9 months, and I am pleased with the results. I look and feel stronger, and do not have the nagging shoulder pain that I had previously suffered. I try to do this class every week, and the participants of the class are all regulars who, like me, want to improve their muscle tone as they age. However, we do have younger class members as well. I think that this class is appropriate for those of us who are not really into weight lifting, but realize the importance of upper body strength. I have found a few other classes that incorporate some of these same kinds of upper body techniques (some yoga classes, CX works, and even some zumba classes). But Integrated Strength is probably the most intense in terms of shoulder strengthening. I recommend this class, and actually look forward to it! And though my arms will never match those of the First Lady, I no longer cringe at my flabby arms staring at me in the mirror!