The natural loss of lean muscle mass as you age can be a buzzkill in your daily life. After you hit age 30, you can lose 3 to 5 percent of your muscle mass every 10 years if you don’t do anything to preserve it, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Having low muscle mass can make you less mobile and weak. This makes it difficult to perform everyday tasks and you are at increased risk of suffering a low trauma fracture if you fall.
Although you can lose muscle mass in all parts of your body, primarily your legs, your arms also lose strength as you age. As such, when you are past middle age, it is important to consume a high protein diet as well as perform exercises to regain muscle mass in your arms. Stephanie Thomasa personal trainer on Fyt, the nation’s largest personal training service that makes fitness virtual or in-person, guided by experts, convenient for everyone, reveals the best exercises to regain arm muscle mass.
Thomas suggests practicing each exercise without additional weights first to familiarize yourself with proper form and avoid potential injury. Maintaining your fitness and staying strong as you age is the name of the game, so don’t sleep on upgrading your workout routine with these must-have moves she recommends to her clients. Read on, and for more, don’t miss The best exercises to regain strength as you age, according to an expert.
To perform bicep curls, place your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Make sure your palms are facing outward as you bend your arms until the dumbbells are close to your chest. Gradually release your arms to return to the starting position. This counts as one repetition. Perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps total.
For tricep push-ups, get on all fours in a plank. Your shoulders should be stacked over your wrists and your elbows bent close to your body. Lower yourself until your body hovers above the floor. Use your core and triceps to raise your body back to the starting position. Perform three sets of eight to 10 reps.
This next exercise starts with you standing up and placing your feet hip-width apart. Hold a light to medium dumbbell in each hand, making sure your palms face your body. Raise your arms until they are parallel to the floor. Make sure your elbows don’t lock; keep a micro-fold in each. Gradually lower your arms back to the starting position to complete the first repetition. Perform three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.
To begin the plank shoulder taps, assume a plank. Keep your shoulders stacked over your wrists, then bring your right hand up to your left shoulder to tap it and switch sides. Keep your core active throughout this exercise and try not to move your hips. Perform three sets of 30 seconds for each set.
Last but not least, let’s finish with tricep dips. Sit on a sturdy bench with your palms facing your body. Use your hands to lift your body off the bench. You can keep your legs straight or bend them at a 90 degree angle. Next, lower your body until it floats off the ground by bending your elbows about 90 degrees. Raise your elbows so your glutes are in line with the bench, but don’t sit on the bench! This counts as one repetition. Perform three sets of 12 repetitions.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the associate editor of Eat This, Not That!’s Mind + Body, overseeing the M+B channel and bringing readers compelling stories about fitness, wellness and self-care. Learn more about Alexa
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