Ten Best Classic Exercises, cont.

women are especially at risk for losing strength in their upper bodies (we have less to begin with than men) especially as we age. i probably realized this fact- as well as the resulting flabby upper arms-a little too late. how did i not notice this? i won't mention any of the many names for this reality but you know what i'm talking about. strength is most  important to maintain but aren't we all just a little vain no matter what our age?
all is not lost but improvement takes consistent work and with weight. one classic exercise that targets the triceps as well as the shoulders and the muscles along the neck is the shoulder press. anyone can do this, all you need are some dumbbells or at least some kind of weight that you can hold in each hand.

• stand straight with a slight knee bend
• holding the weights raise your arms with bent elbows (but don't lock them) so that the weights are at about ear height. use a relaxed grip with the weights
• your palms should be facing forward
• raise (press) the weights over head
• lower back down-not too far down- elbows should be around shoulder height. elbows should also stay in line with your body- you don't want them to move behind you
• repeat for 8-12 reps

looking for an added challenge-do the shoulder press while sitting on a stability ball. change will happen, just not overnight and you really do need to progress the weight. if it doesn't take much effort to do 12 reps it's time to progress (increase) the weight.