Do Dumbbells Help Flabby Arms on Seniors?

Both men and women can develop flabby arms as they get older. For most people it appears as a flapping jiggly area at the back of the upper arm and is due to a combination of poor muscle tone and thinning of the skin and underlying connective tissue, which particularly affects women after menopause. Dumbbells can be used to tone flabby arms regardless of age, although toned older muscles will look different than toned muscles on younger people.

Muscles weaken and lose flexibility as you age. Weight training using dumbbells will strengthen muscles and delay osteoporosis by maintaining bone density. If you combine dumbbell workouts with cardiovascular and flexibility routines, you will not only tone your arms so there is defined muscle and less flab, but you will also become a little stronger. This helps in all aspects of life including carrying shopping bags, gardening and playing with grandchildren.

The upper arm has the biceps muscle group at the front and the triceps at the back. Many exercises to tone the upper arms work the triceps, but it is important to target the biceps too. Biceps curls, which you can do standing or sitting, will help with flabby arms. You can work both arms together or one at a time. Aim for 15 repetitions, but if you are unfit, then start with fewer, and stop if you cannot maintain proper form.

Suitable triceps exercises are triceps extensions, triceps kickbacks and French presses. You can perform triceps extensions either standing, seated or lying down, so choose whichever is most comfortable for you. Aim for three to four sets two to three times per week, and stop if you feel you are straining. Exhale as you extend the arms and inhale as you return to the starting position. Use a bench for triceps kickbacks, and perform French presses from the seated position unless you have enough core strength to hold your pelvis, back and head in alignment without hollowing your back.

It is important to warm up before using weights. Aim for three sessions a week that include a warm-up, dynamic stretching, working with dumbbells, then static stretching. Learn the correct posture and technique for each exercise to avoid injury and to get the benefit from the exercise. Consider joining a gym or learning from online sources. Choose a weight that you can perform eight to 10 repetitions with but feel muscle fatigue for the last few. Increase the weight when you no longer feel challenged. Allow a day between sessions for your muscles to recover. Also, aim for 30 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week in the form of walking, swimming, aerobics or other continuous activity.