A moderately active body gets a fair amount of exercise daily by virtue of just getting around. Every step counts and the more the steps the greater the benefits.
But all that energy is channeled mostly through the legs that carry a relative and significant amount of weight around. The same cannot be said for the upper body that does not have the same opportunity for mobility. There is not one activity that is characteristic of the upper body and matches the benefits of walking, other than a work related one perhaps.
So, you can easily make the case that the upper body on average is movement deficient. It is this deficiency that has us at Fitnesspods believe that focus should be on the upper body when it comes to fitness, and here are three good reasons.
The inert upper body: The upper body is lazy! It has tricked the lower body to carry it around like Atlas carrying the earth on his back according to Greek mythology. It gets comfortable inside a layer of fat it builds with every opportunity and loves cozying. It likes to sink into armchairs and pillows for support and comfort, resting the arms on tables, and even keeping the hands in the pockets when walking.
The upper body needs motivation and requires more deliberate action for mobility. By contrast, the lower body is restive, and by virtue of walking alone has a better opportunity for mobility.
And when it comes to fitness, because upper body routines are more demanding and not as easy to tolerate, people usually shun them for the easier lower body routines. Besides, weight and strength exercise routines are not tolerable or sustainable for many.
Fat accumulation: The upper body houses all the vital organs and is prone to fat accumulation in the areas of waist, flanks, abdomen, chest, upper arms, and back. Fat accumulation is associated with diseases including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. So, it is only natural to try to protect against fat buildup by directly engaging the upper body in fitness programs.
Cardio, which engages mostly the lower body, can affect the upper body as well, however, cardio routines reach limits fighting upper body fat.
Posture: Posture is about the correct alignment of the body. Posture is not only about body aesthetics, but function as well. Good posture reduces muscle tension and makes daily activities and life more comfortable.
Posture changes with aging, gravity due to weight gain, lifestyle, habits, and recently the excessive use of technology gadgets like mobile phones.
Muscle loss is a preventable cause of bad posture by ways of exercising the shoulders and the core. These are the two areas where the curvature of the spine changes mainly due to lack of muscle support.
At Fitnesspods we chose upper body fitness as our area of focus in search of better solutions. That led to the development of the Single-hoop and Barell-roll products for the shoulders, chest, arms, and middle and upper back, as well as the Double-hoop for the development of the core. All three machines have a unique ability to engage multiple groups of muscles at once with multi-directional movement. With their characteristic high repetition and moderate strength method of operation, they can affect the body’s mass composition and build muscle at the same time.
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