Think about how many times you reach up for a glass in the cabinet or bend down to tie your sneakers. Is carrying groceries or swinging a golf club or tennis racket part of your lifestyle? If you’re like most adults, many answers are a big “yes.” One essential fact of life is that maintaining arm strength is crucial as you age. Otherwise, daily tasks and activities can become more challenging.
You naturally start to lose muscle mass and strength after you hit 30—as much as 3% to 8% every 10 years. The good news? Performing regular strength training can help combat this.
Below are six standing arm moves to start this week after 55, according to Nikkii Behrens, Nutritionist, Sleep Specialist, Pilates Teacher, and Founder of Nikkii Health and Rare Street Pilates.
“After 55, I’d focus less on complicated or highly isolated exercises and more on movements that build useful, functional upper-body strength while also challenging posture, grip and stability. These [moves] can all be performed standing with light dumbbells or resistance bands, and the resistance can be progressed gradually,” explains Behrens.
Bicep Curls
“This is a simple way to strengthen the biceps and supports everyday tasks like carrying shopping or lifting objects,” Behrens says.
- Begin standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a supinated grip.
- Bend your elbows to curl the weights up toward your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps at the top.
- Use control to lower.
RELATED: 7 Moves to Build Strong Arms in 30 Days After 45
Standing Overhead Presses
“This strengthens the shoulders and triceps while also asking the core and postural muscles to stabilize the body. Overhead strength is particularly useful for everyday movements such as putting something onto a high shelf,” Behrens points out.
- Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, palms facing inward.
- Press the weights overhead, extending your arms.
- Use control as you lower the weights to shoulder height.
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Standing Bent-Over Rows
“Rows strengthen the upper back and arms and are excellent for balancing all the forward-reaching and sitting we tend to do throughout the day,” Behrens tells us.
- Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of you.
- Hinge at the hips until your torso is parallel to the floor. Maintain a flat back and soft knees.
- Allow the weights to lower with your arms completely extended.
- Row the dumbbells up toward your torso.
- Lower to the start position with control.
RELATED: These 2 Exercises Build Arm Strength Faster Than Traditional Workouts After 40
Lateral Raise
“This targets the shoulders and is a great exercise for building strength through a controlled range of motion. You don’t need heavy weights for it to be effective,” Behrens explains.
- Stand tall with your feet planted hip-width apart.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
- With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells out to the sides of your body until you reach shoulder height.
- Use control as you slowly lower the weights back to the start position.
RELATED: 5 Standing Exercises To Shrink Your ‘Armpit Pooch’ For Good
Standing Overhead Tricep Extensions
“This targets the triceps, which are important for pushing movements and everyday upper-body function. Anyone with limited shoulder mobility can swap this for a standing resistance-band triceps press-down,” Behrens explains.
- Begin standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
- Hold a dumbbell with both hands, lifting it overhead.
- Keep your elbows close to your ears as you lower the dumbbell toward the back of your head.
- Lift it back overhead.
Resistance Band Pull-Aparts
“This strengthens the muscles around the upper back and shoulders and is particularly useful for supporting good posture and shoulder function,” Behrens says.
- Begin by standing tall.
- Hold the resistance band ahead of you with arms fully extended at shoulder height.
- Pull the band apart, stretching your arms laterally while keeping them fully straight.
- Use control to return to the start position.
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