Strength Exercise and training are not only for athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness junkies that are still young and vibrant.
Strength training is also ideal for seniors who want to keep fit, healthy, and live well-balanced lives even into their old age.
You do not necessarily need a gym to perform strength exercises, and these routines should not be hard and uncomfortable for you to perform.
In this article, I want to introduce you to some comfortable and effective strength exercise training routines to help you keep fit and strong as an older adult.
Table of Contents
Bodyweight Strength Exercises for Seniors
One of the best strength exercises for older adults is bodyweight strength exercises.
It is the safest and best form of exercise to start with that will help you keep a proper form alignment safe for older adults.
Strength is said to be the fountain of youth. Strength allows seniors to control better symptoms of chronic disease, pain, and depression. It also helps prevent falls by improving balance and helps you maintain your existing muscle mass.
Strength training improves your posture improves, bone density, and stability.
As you age, you naturally lose some muscle mass because the muscle becomes less sensitive to dietary protein, which builds muscle and changes hormones.
However, a loss of strength, balance, muscle mass, and weakness is mainly caused by a lack of exercise in seniors.
You can reduce the loss of muscle mass and bone density just by performing regular strength exercises as an older adult.
It is always best to start early but always early enough to start.
Exercise Equipment for Strength Exercises
Anyone can perform strength exercises if you take their health and capabilities into account rather than your initial age.
Some 70-year-olds could easily out-train many 25 years olds, so age is just a number when it comes to strength training. However, as a beginner, you may need some modifications.
Besides bodyweight training, you can easily ramp up your exercise routine by adding exercise, resistance bands, or light weights.
Some equipment can be affordable and easy to use at home for strength training.
Strength Exercise Routines for Seniors
Lying Hip Bridges
Lie Flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Flatten your lower back against the floor. Now squeeze your bum and push your hips and pelvis up as high as possible. Lower slowly and repeat.
Chair Squats
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, directly in front of a chair. Keep your chest upright, push your hips back to bend your knees, and lower your body towards the chair. It would be best to touch your bum to the chair or sit on it. Pause, then push through your feet and squeeze your bum to return to the normal position.
Wall Push Ups
These are push-ups done standing against a wall. You will stand with your arms stretched out and palms flat against the wall, your legs slightly back, leaning forward. No push against the wall until your arms are fully bent and tucked to your sides. Push back again until your arms are straight.
Side Lying Circles
Lie down on the floor with your body in a straight line. Extend your bottom arm straight past your head. Squeeze and pull in your belly. Rest your head on your bottom arm. Lift your top leg, keeping your hips directly over each other. Ni moves your lifted leg ins small circles clockwise and anti-clockwise. Lower your leg, return to normal position, and do the same on the other side.
Quadruped Opposite Arm and Leg Balance
If you can get on all four hands and knees, with your hand directly underneath your shoulders and knee under your hips. Keep your back flat, and tighten your abdominals. Lift one arm reaching straight in front of you and one leg opposite leg straight behind you. Lower them again, and do the same on the opposite sides.
Dead Bugs
Lie flat on your back and hold your arms and legs straight up in the air. Keep your knees bent. Maintain contact between your lower back and the floor while you lower your opposite arm towards the floor above your head. Lift back up and start again, repeating on the opposite side.
Side Planks
Lie down on your side, prop your head up with your hand and elbow below your shoulder. Squeeze your core and lift your hips off the floor so that your body forms a straight line, leaning on your feet. Hold as long as you can and lower slowly.
Wall Angles
Stand with your back flat against a wall. Your feet need to be a few inches from the wall., and your head touching the wall. Tuck your chin to your chest and place your arms down the sides. Turn your palms out and raise your arms slowly, maintaining contact with the wall. Raise your arms without bending your elbows. Pause, then lower your arms again.
Wall Slides
Stand with your back one or two feet away from the wall with your feet under your hips. Lean your bum, back, shoulders, arms, and head against the wall. Bend your knees and lower your body to around 90 degrees. Hold, and raise back up.
Pec Stretches Stand in the middle of a doorway or entry space. Place both arms on the doorway’s sides and step forward slightly to stretch your pectoral muscles.
Standing Balance
Hold on to a steady chair and stand on one leg. Try to keep your balance on the other. Now do the same with the other leg. In the video, you will see a few variations of standing balance exercise routines.
Chin Ups – Keep your head up daily, keeping your neck straight but not stiff.
Mix cardio, such as brisk walking or cycling, into your workout for fitness.
Precautions When performing Strength Exercises
When you perform any exercise routine, it is always important to be cautious.
The most important thing to remember is to follow cues from your body, do not overexert yourself or place yourself in painful positions.
Please follow the instructions for the exercises correctly and keep your posture properly to prevent strain and injuries.
Never overdo it, and take a break if you need to.
![As we get older, in time certain parts of our bodies will start to age and wrinkle. One of these parts is our arms. The skin and muscle tone in your arms may become weakened and less defined, which in the end results in what as known as flabby arms. The best exercise for flabby arms in seniors could help your prevent this, as well as to one the muscles in your arms to make them appear much less flabby. [super_featured_image] What Causes Flabby Arms in Seniors So what exactly causes our arms to become, or appear flabby? Well for most individuals its is because of fat deposits that accu,ate in that are of their arms and for others it is more just loose skin related to age. As you get older everything starts to slow down, your metabolism, your ability to move around fast, and your muscle strength. Thus, fat may accumulate and muscle weaken in the arms. As we age we are also less prone to take part in activities and to exercise, which in turn cause weakened muscles and an increase in fat ad calories that cause fat. Following a good exercise program and having a healthy diet can help to transform fat deposits in your arms and body into muscle and to lose some needed weight. Can You Tone Flabby Arms So, in turn could you actually tone and correct your older more flabby arms? Well, here is some good news. If your arms are out of shape and flabby you get most of the shape back with the right diet and exercises. However, you will need to do targeted muscle exercise that will burn fat, and in turn rather build and tone the muscle in these areas of your arms. I would suggest focusing on purring in some work with regard to arm exercises, and then slowly starting to focus on a more healthy, and balanced diet. By adding and toning the muscle sin your arms they will retain shape and look less flabby, On the other hand you will also feel better and look much better in turn. Dieting for Flabby Arms Flab in your arms can be caused by excess fat deposits, especially if you are slightly overweight, which means you will also need to improve your diet. Watch your calorie intake and never eat more than you need to to feel full. Choose high quality nutritious food with lean proteins, and fresh produce such as fruits and vegetable. Grain and wholegrains are ideal for energy especially when eating breakfast. As a senior you will want to follow a heart healthy diet in urn to take care of your health, and to keep your weight under control. A few other Tips for Flabby Arms;. [super_list] Creams and Lotions - There are some good creams and lotions on the market that will help with excess skin to firm and tone. Look for reams with Vitamin C, Elastin and Q10 in it. It makes a small difference. Creams containing Coffee, or caffeine, will likewise help to break down cellulite and fat. Collagen and Vitamins - Certain Vitamin supplements such as collagen help improve the elasticity of your skin, which in turn can make a small difference in flabby arms. Wear the Right Clothing - For the time being if you have flab, especially in the uppers arms area , try to wear tops that have longer short, or quarter length sleeves to look more flattering. [/super_list] Exercise for Flabby Armsh2> Here we have added a few of the best exercise for flabby arms, they are quite easy to perform by older adults and they are safe. You can start off slowly and increase weight and intensity levels as you progress. Lifting Weights There are different types of weight lifting exercises that will target your arm muscles, and other muscle groups in your body. Weight lifting exercises are one of the best options for flabby arms. https://youtu.be/Wa8Fk8TaXPk Triceps Dips Triceps dips are perfect to tine the back of your uppers arms, where the most stubborn flat usually rests. You will nee a chair or low stable structure on which you can place your hands. Face forward the chair behind you and place your hands fingers facing away from your flat on the chair seat Your knees need to be bent and your feet flat on the ground. Your arms down elbows up, and your bum hanging down. Now push yourself up with your arms only but do not lock your elbows, and slowly easy back into the start position again. Repeat this a few times. https://youtu.be/LVRcXDEdC5U Bicep Curls Bicep Curls are ideal for your arms and easy to do. You will need a light weight though, or you can use any object around the house with some weight, such as a tin of beans. Stand with your feet shoulder length apart, your arms elbows at your sides and turned wrist up. Hold the weights or objects in both hands and slowly lift toward your face, and slowly back down to the original position. https://youtu.be/K2Bj2bi8jd8 Push Ups Push Ups are excellent exercise for your chest and your arms. You need to do push ups the right way to get the best results and to prevent injuries. You can do the push up with your knees on the floor until you get stronger, or do standing wall push ups if needed. For a regular push up you need to be hands and knees on a soft mat or carpet. Place your hands in front of your shoulder length apart, at your chest level. Straighten your body with your legs straight behind you and your feet hip width parallel to your, holding them up on your toes. Keep your hips in line with your shoulders. Lower your body so that your elbows bend at a 90-degree angle outward and then push back to the starting position. Repeat this a few times. Side Planks Planks generally are quite a strenuous exercise, so please follow with caution. The side plank is similar to a regular plank, however done on your sides. Your will lay down in a straight line on your side, with your legs extended and stacked on top of each other. Keep the bottom elbow under your shoulder to ensure your head is fully aligned with your spine. Keep your abdominals tight and lift your hips and knees up, resting on your bottom arm/ Keep your body straight, and hold for a few seconds. https://youtu.be/9dNL_mtObGQ Scissors Scissors can help to tone and shape your arms. You will need to stand up straight with your feet slightly more than shoulder width apart. Move your arms to the side and then bring them to the front. The one hand should overlap the other, looking much similar to the letter X. Return your arms to the starting position, and repeat around 20 times. Now raise your other arm above your head and see how long your can hold it. This exercise will need to be performed on a mat. https://youtu.be/2PKLEOqpmZU Reviews: The Best](https://seniorgrade.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Flabby-Arm-excercises-for-Seniors-300x141.jpg)
