Upper Body Rolling Exercise

The sport of bowling requires your upper body to work independently (go in different directions from one another at the same time) from your lower body. For example, when you are playing an inside line, the top of your backswing and your hips are pointed in different directions.

In this video lesson, Certified Personal Trainer Leah Zahner demonstrates how to do an upper body roll that will train both your upper and lower body to work independently from one another.

Step 1

Start on your back with your arms extended straight over your head.

Step 2

Take an arm and reach it as far as you can across your body, pulling yourself onto your stomach.

In order to keep the upper and lower body independent of one another, the lower body can not help with the roll. A clear indicator that you are accomplishing the roll successfully using only your upper body is that your core will be engaged throughout the roll.

If you don’t feel this exercise in your core, your lower body is helping you roll and you are not doing the upper body roll correctly.

Step 3

To get back to the starting position, repeat step two from your stomach.

Continue the upper body roll by repeating this exercise going in the other direction utilizing the other arm.

This exercise releases tension in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. Many people sit for long hours for their job. The tension the upper body roll releases can be attributed to excessive sitting.

Check out “Lying Leg Raises to Help Strengthen Your Knees” and “Leg Lifts in a Table Top Position” for more exercises you can do on the floor to help improve your bowling performance.