Raising the Arms Overhead Is Important For Our Health
My wife sent me the video in this post and I have done the routine for the last few days. At three minutes it doesn’t get easier and easy is good.
We underestimate the power of simple movements and their impact on our overall well-being.
One such movement that we tend to overlook is raising our arms over our heads.
Modern life which can predominantly include working at a desk, or sitting on the couch— can keep us from raising our arms over our heads for a good portion of our day.
While it may seem like a trivial action, lifting our arms above our heads holds a multitude of health benefits that are worth exploring.
There are surprising advantages of raising the arms and I’ll share why incorporating this motion into your daily routine can be a transformative practice.
Improved Posture and Flexibility
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Yoga is all about posture and flexibility. If done correctly. But even if we don’t do it with optimal alignment you are raising your arms overhead repeatedly, which helps improve your posture and flexibility.
When you lift your arms, you engage the muscles in your upper back, shoulders, and chest, which are often neglected because of our sedentary lifestyles.
There are a host of muscles at play when we bring our arms over our heads and they are all important when it comes to getting the most out of our bodies.
I could name a bunch of muscles but one in particular— latissimus dorsi— is all about bringing the arms up and down and it is a muscle that causes problems for a whole lot of people.
In and of itself, bringing the arms overhead won’t improve your posture.
You need to learn how to do that in other ways but it will definitely help with some of the other things I include below.Boosted Circulation and Lymphatic Flow
Raising your arms above your head has a positive effect on your circulation and lymphatic flow.
By lifting your arms, you encourage blood and lymphatic fluid to move more efficiently throughout your body.
This increased circulation helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to your cells, while also aiding in the removal of waste products and toxins.
It might seem simple but regular arm raises can contribute to improved overall health and a strengthened immune system.
Stress Reduction and Mood Enhancement
The physical act of raising your arms can have a direct impact on your emotional well-being.
When you lift your arms, you stretch the muscles in your upper body and release tension that accumulates throughout the day.
This simple action helps alleviate stress and promote relaxation.
Additionally, raising your arms stimulates the release of endorphins, and endorphins— our body’s natural feel-good hormones— are one of the main reasons why we exercise.
Enhanced Respiratory Function
Raising your arms above your head can also support improved respiratory function.
When you lift your arms, you work the chest, allowing your lungs to expand more fully.
Increased lung capacity promotes deeper and more efficient breathing, enabling greater oxygen intake and carbon dioxide expulsion.
Practicing arm raises regularly, you can strengthen your respiratory muscles and improve lung function, which can enhance overall endurance and vitality.
We breathe more than 20,000 times a day and anything that improves the efficiency of those breaths goes a long way to improving everything about our life because breath is everything.
Increased Core Strength and Stability
In addition to working the latissimus dorsi, raising your arms activates your core muscles, including the abdominal and back muscles.
When you lift your arms, your core engages to maintain balance and proper alignment. Over time, this can lead to increased strength, improved balance, and enhanced stability throughout your body and your day.
A strong core is essential for maintaining healthy posture, preventing lower back pain, and facilitating effective movement patterns.
Incorporating Arm Raises
Most of my days start with three simple stretches that I call the AM Routine. You can see a video for one of them in the video at this link: Garudasna, or, Eagle Arms
It includes a tricep stretch, a deltoid stretch, and a side stretch that works the quadratus lumborum.
And I don’t limit these stretches to the morning. I teach them in many of the yoga classes that I teach and I often repeat them during the day.
Raising the arms is one of the best reasons to have a regular yoga practice. Even if it isn’t about going to a yoga class, a 15-minute yoga routine will bring your arms overhead repeatedly.
Here is a subtle way to incorporate arm raises. I do most of the cooking in our house and I have my pots and pans hanging above my head.
This means any time I need a pan or pot I have to reach for it and the weight of it adds to the benefit. Cooking can be good exercise.
Another cooking tip ( I need to write a post about the ergonomics of cooking) if you feel you don’t get enough exercise, is to have your heaviest cooking tools closest to the floor.
That way you have to bend or squat to get things out of drawers or cabinets.
Little actions like that add up over the course of cooking once or twice a day.
It might seem like nothing but the simple act of raising your arms overhead holds a wealth of health benefits, even if you are just doing it to do it.
In other words, it doesn’t have to be connected to an exercise.
Just reach for the sky. It will make you feel good.
There is a great Amy Cuddy Ted Talk that talks about the way we naturally raise our arms in victory. It is a great 20-minute video about body language and confidence.
Incorporating arm raises into your daily routine can transform your day and you can tap into the positive impact of this often-overlooked movement.
Embrace the power of lifting your arms, and discover the incredible benefits it can bring to your life.