CHEST HEALTH & WELLNESS

To strengthen your abdominals, do a modified plank using a sofa so you’re not straining your wrists while trying to balance your body.

Place your hands on the back of the sofa, arms shoulder-width apart. Slowly bring your legs back until you’re in a straight line from the top of your head to your heels. Hold this position anywhere from 30 seconds to one minute. If it’s too easy, progress to using your sofa seats instead of the back of the sofa. If that gets easy, progress to the floor.

Face a wall. Place your hands on the wall shoulder width apart and angle your feet out away from the wall so you’re pressing your weight into your arms. Then slide your elbows along your side and squeeze your shoulder blades together as your arms bend until you’re able to kiss the wall. Then push your hands into the wall and straighten your arms. At the last second, give one final push into the wall as you round your shoulders. Be sure to reset your shoulders before you do another repetition.

This exercise has so much value for women over 50. First, it helps strengthen forgotten postural muscles that reduce shoulder and neck injury. It also works the chest in a way that doesn’t tighten chest muscles to create further shoulder instability.