Upper Body Strength Training for Healthcare Professionals

No wonder you’re exhausted! With all that pushing, stooping, stretching and assisting you do, who wouldn’t be? But that’s not all! Healthcare professionals are required to move around a lot of weight - I’m talking patients here! You know that obesity issue that’s sweeping the country? Where do you think they end up at one time or another? Under your precious care!

 

Some positions require that you be able to lift at least 100 pounds in order to keep your body strong and prepared for these physical challenges. You must concentrate on increasing your overall strength and endurance, and the best way to do this is through strength training.

 

Strength training helps to protect your body from injury and diseases such as osteoporosis, as well as sculpt the muscles that drape your skeleton. With regular workouts, you will see and feel results in just a few weeks.

  

Think About It

 

Having sufficient upper body strength plays an important role in the overall functioning of your body.

 

• How many times do you bend your elbow to lift an object? That’s biceps and triceps.
• How often do you pull an object towards you? That’s shoulders and upper back.
• Cleaning up a spill? You’re engaging your core.

You really do use your upper body a lot, so you should make strengthening those muscles a priority.

 

The Push-Up

 

One of the simplest, “do anywhere, anytime” exercises, is the push-up. This exercise works your chest, back, shoulders, triceps and core  If you vary your hand and leg positions, you can actually get a total body workout.

 

Here are some examples:

 

• Wide grip push-up: Instead of placing your hands directly under your shoulders, extend them past your shoulders so that your elbows are bent – targets the back
• Close grip push-up: Your hands are placed side by side, directly underneath your chest – targets the triceps
• Plyo push-up: Perform a regular push-up when descending, but when you are ready to push your body up, make it forceful and powerful so that your hands actually come off the floor

Modify It

 

If you are unable to do a full push-up, don’t fret. Start with one of the modified positions below and work your way up.

 

• Off the Wall: Stand at an angle with both hands on the wall and push off from there
• Off the Table: Lean over a table to push off
• Bent Leg: Start in the standard push up position; knees bent and ankles crossed

Start Slow

 

Don’t worry if you can only do one or two push-ups. The more you do, the better you’ll get.  The key is to build strength and endurance over time, not to enter a strong man/woman contest tomorrow. Each day, add a couple of reps. Each week, add more sets. In the end, you’ll have increased your capacity to move weight and not injure yourself. 

 

Need tools to help you implement your new “Get in Shape” program?  Visit www.optimumbodysculpting.com to get free tools to help your patients get in shape and stay that way!

 

By Carol Dunlop