Have you just received your COVID-19 vaccination, flu shot or other medical injection? 

To reduce pain and discomfort at the injection site, the CDC recommends using or exercising your arm.  The Carle Health & Fitness Center trainers have put together a list of exercises that can help.  Watch CHFC team member Jonathan demonstrate below.

If you need more help or are interested in learning more, visit Carle Health & Fitness Center.  Not a member? CLICK HERE for a FREE 7-DAY PASS. 

Repeat exercises daily as needed.

ARM PRESS – 20 reps

Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your arms up to your shoulders with elbows bent (as if you were holding a bar above your head).  Straighten your arms by pushing up and then bringing back down to the original position.

LATERAL RAISE – 20 reps

Stand or sit with your hands at your sides. Keep your back straight, brace your core, and then slowly lift your arms until they are parallel with the floor.  Then lower them back down.  Don’t go beyond parallel when you’re raising your arms.  These can also be performed with a set of light dumbbells.

WALL PUSHUPS – 20 reps

Stand with feet under hips, arm’s length away from a wall. ·Bend your elbow and begin to lean your body toward the wall as far as you can go. Ensure that your back stays straight and your hips don’t sag. Try to keep your body weight evenly distributed then push back to the starting position.

BICEP CURLS – 20 reps

Start standing with a dumbbell in each hand. Your elbows should rest at your sides and your forearms should extend out in front of your body. Bring the dumbbells all the way up to your shoulders by bending your elbows. Once at the top, hold for a second by squeezing the muscle.  Reverse the curl slowly and repeat.

ASSISTED STAND UP – 20 reps

Start in a seated position in a chair with arms.  Place your hands at the front edge of the arms and push yourself up from a seated position.  Remember to let your arms do the work rather than pushing with your legs or abdominals.

CROSS-BODY SHOULDER STRETCH – 20 seconds on each side

Stand with the feet hip-width apart.  Stretch the right arm out straight.  Bring the right arm across the body, so that the hand points to the floor on the other side of the left leg.  Bend the left arm at the elbow.  Hook the left forearm under the right arm, supporting the right arm above the elbow.  Use the left forearm to pull the right arm further in and across the body, stretching the back of the right shoulder.  Hold this for 20 seconds, then repeat the stretch on the other side.