As we age, recovery gets slower, and a person gets more prone to injuries. People often start to lose muscle mass, and the arms are one muscle group which gets affected the most in this process. However, when it comes to arm strengthening, we focus on the biceps, neglecting other supporting muscle groups. One of the most common causes of loose skin or arm pain is a failure to pay close attention to the large muscles in our arms. So, if you are struggling with weak arms or trying to improve your arms, let's start by understanding the arms anatomy and the exercises that are a must for seniors.
Arms Anatomy
Our arms start at the shoulder and end where our wrists begin. So our arms comprise shoulder muscles, biceps, triceps, forearms, and wrists. The shoulder is one of the biggest muscles, so it's important to start by targeting your shoulders and then move on to small muscle groups. Why begin with large muscle groups? Firstly, when you target a large muscle group, your small muscle groups get warmed up. Second, because large muscle groups require more energy, it is critical that you begin with big muscle groups. Finally, having large muscles helps you burn more calories, which is ideal if you want to lose weight.
Arm Strengthening Exercises For Seniors
1) Military Press
The military press is an excellent exercise for strengthening your shoulders. Military presses target the deltoids, which are the front head and one of the largest heads of the shoulder. It's a compound movement, which means it works more than two muscles at once, in this case, your triceps and forearms. While our shoulders are the most worked muscle, the likelihood of injury increases. As a result, it is critical that you properly warm up your delts before performing the exercise.
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2) Side Lateral Raise
Side lateral raise is another great exercise for targeting your shoulder muscle. Side raises target the side head of the shoulder, making your arm appear wider and larger. Having a strong side head also makes growing triceps easier. The only thing to remember is to increase the number of sets and reps every time you do this movement to maximise the strengthening process.
3) Triceps Push Down
As the name suggests, tri, the triceps is made up of three heads: a long head, a lateral head, and a medial head. To hit all three heads, you must include a pushing movement, and the triceps pushdown is one of the best. The best thing about tricep pushdowns is that they help you gain strength and endurance by engaging your core, back, and shoulders.
4) Biceps Curls
The biceps are one of the smallest muscles in your body, and training them once a week is sufficient to strengthen them. The biceps curl is an age-old exercise for building arm strength. The only thing to remember is that you should focus on developing a mind-muscle connection rather than just lifting weights.
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5) Palm Up Wrist Curls
Palm up wrist curls helps to strengthen your forearms and improve grip strength. To perform them, place your wrists on your knees, hold a dumbell in both arms and raise your hands as high as possible while keeping your arms still. Remember that your goal should be to perform reps until failure, which means more than 20 reps.
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