Going from Strength to Strength    by Emily Orford

Upper Body Blitz

In this month’s Needham Link, we take a look at the press up, an effective exercise for strengthening and toning the muscles in the arms, chest and shoulders. A stronger upper body will
 help make every day activities like carrying the shopping or digging the garden that much easier.

Press up - standing (easier option)

• Find a suitable wall that is solid enough to take your body weight
• Stand facing the wall with your feet hip width apart and stretch out your arms so that you palms are flat against the wall
• Your hands should be at the same height as your shoulders
• Slowly bend your elbows and move your body towards the wall
• Aim to get your nose as close to the wall as possible
• Now, slowly push yourself back to the starting position 
• You can make this exercise harder by standing with your feet further away from the wall

Press up – floor (harder option)

• Kneel on all fours with the hands a little wider than shoulder width apart
• Straighten your legs out behind you so that your weight is distributed between your hands and toes
• Bend the elbows outwards to lower the chest towards the floor
• Push back up to the starting position
• To make the floor press up exercise easier, maintain the all four position and lower your chest to the floor aiming to get your nose past your finger tips

Aim to perform approximately 8-12 repetitions in each set and aim to build up the number of sets to 2-3 per session.

Emily runs weekly fitness classes, £4 per class, no booking required. Please call Emily on 07946 353731 or just turn up and give it a go!

For more information on Emily’s classes visit www.needhamlink.co.uk