Since many of us are having to exercise at home, with minimal equipment and time, certified Pilates instructor Andrea Speir, founder of Speir Pilates, shared this simple home workout to strengthen your arms and shoulders with POPSUGAR — all you need is a hand towel!
Speir said you don't need gym equipment to begin chiseling your upper-body muscles and building strength, because using your own bodyweight is effective for both. By moving your body at different angles with a towel (or paper plates on carpet), you can target various areas, including your shoulders, biceps, triceps, chest, and upper back.
Equipment needed: A small hand towel (or a slider/paper plate if you're training on carpet)
Directions: After warming up with at least five minutes of cardio that involves moving the arms (such as jumping jacks and arm circles), complete the following three exercises three times through, resting one minute between each round. Cool down with these chest and shoulder stretches.
Image Source: Andrea Speir
Constantly shifting your weight and balance as you slide the towel forward strengthens the entire arm, as well as the postural muscles and core, big time, Speir explained.
Image Source: Andrea Speir
Push-ups are fantastic for the arms, core, and upper back. Speir explained that one of the best ways to increase results and challenge the body is by adding imbalance. She said, "By sliding the leg out to the side, we add imbalance, which asks our arms to do some extra credit on this assignment."
Image Source: Andrea Speir
This exercise gives you tension as you draw the arms down (imagine you're doing lat pulldowns at the gym). "I love this because you get that nice big opening in the chest and shoulders as well (much needed when we are squinting into Zoom calls all day)," Speir said.