When you think about fitness, you probably think about aerobic exercises like running or Zumba, but what about toning? Toning can be mightily beneficial to your wellness, providing a great way to get your muscles conditioned and strong. According to the Centre for Young Women’s Health (CYWH), ‘Toning exercises can help raise your metabolism (the way you burn food energy) by building muscle. Certain toning exercises may help prevent osteoporosis by keeping your bones strong. Toning can even help to release stress from your body.’ Seeing as toning can work wonders for your wellbeing, let’s take a look at a few upper body toning exercises.
1. Overhead Shoulder Press: This exercises uses your trapezius (upper shoulder), deltoid (shoulder), and rhomboids (upper back) muscles. You can use light weights of two, three or five pounds, a 12 or 20oz filled water bottle or unopened soup cans. The CYWH instruct, ‘Stand up straight, with knees slightly bent. Place feet hip distance apart. Make sure toes are pointing forward. Keep shoulders even as you complete this exercise. Hold weights at shoulder height with palms facing forward. Exhale (breathe out) as you slowly and evenly lift both arms upright past ears, above head, to a full arm extension. Inhale (breathe in) as you evenly and slowly lower both arms down to starting position. Repeat exercise for a set of eight.’
2. Chest Press: The chest press, as you might have guessed, works your chest or “pecs” (otherwise known as the pectoralis major). You can use any of the weighted items suggested for the overhead shoulder press. The CYWH detail, ‘Stand up straight, with knees slightly bent. Place feet hip distance apart. Make sure toes are pointing forward. Hold weights at shoulder height with palms facing forward and elbows bent to form a 90-degree angle. Exhale (breathe out) as you evenly and slowly move arms together. Keep elbows bent at a 90-degree angle until elbows and forearms meet in front of your face and chest. Now palms are facing each other. Inhale (breathe in) as you evenly and slowly move both arms back to starting position. Repeat exercise for a set of eight.’
3. Bent Knee Push Up: This exercise works your pecs and abs (or rectus abdominus). You might want a mat or towel to lie on, but this is completely up to you. The CYWH outline, ‘Lie with your stomach flat against the floor. Lift feet off floor, bringing heels towards your buttocks. Bend knees to form a 45-degree angle or L-shape. Extend hands next to your body at shoulder height, keeping elbows bent. Exhale (breathe out) as you push your body weight off the floor by extending arms from a bent elbow to straight elbow. Be sure to have proper alignment: a straight back, with ears, shoulders and hips in a straight line. Hold abdominal muscles in tightly (pretend you are squeezing your belly button into your spine). Inhale (breathe in) as you bend elbows and allow your body to lower to floor level. Lower your body until your face is about 2-3 inches from the floor. Repeat exercise for a set of eight.’
4. Bicep Curl: For this one – which works your biceps – go back to using your weights, water bottles or soup cans. The CYWH note, ‘Stand up straight, with knees slightly bent. Place feet hip distance apart. Make sure toes are pointing forward. Keep shoulders even as you complete this exercise. Hold weights in both hands, palms facing upward, with elbows positioned next to waist and rib cage. Position arms so weights are directly above thighs and elbows are slightly bent. Exhale (breathe out) as you slowly and evenly lift both forearms upright to shoulders to a full bicep curl. Inhale (breathe in) as you evenly and slowly lower both arms down to starting position. Remember to squeeze your bicep muscles as you lift down, instead of letting gravity do the work. Repeat exercise for a set of eight.’