We all need to get the body moving in one way or another. There are too many benefits to exercise for all of us to ignore it. Exercise builds muscle. The human body is a machine. That muscle burns fat and helps to give us strength to do the things we do each day.

For a senior, strength is important. With bone loss and lower amounts of calcium, it can be easier to break a hip or arm as a result of a fall. Keeping the body fit can improve balance and prevent falls that can be life-threatening.

So, what can you do if you are a senior who spends most of their time in a chair? Here are a few examples of the types of exercise that would be good for you.

Upper Body Work

For those in wheelchairs, you know how much strength it takes to move that wheelchair up and down halls. When you exercise the arms and shoulders it becomes less of a chore. Use light weights – about three pounds to start.

Try side arm raises. With dumbbells in hand and palms facing inward, raise the arms (one at a time or simultaneously) to shoulder height. Slowly return to the start position. This works the shoulder muscles.

Bicep curls are also useful to build the upper arm. With your arms leaning against the front of the chair and palms facing upward, curl the arm at the elbow until the weight reaches the shoulder. All of the work is concentrated in the front of the arm, which is engaged when you lift things.

Lower Body Work

Since you are seated, this is the best position to work the legs. These are big muscles so they can take it.

Leg raises work the front part of the upper leg – the quadriceps muscle. Sitting against the back of your chair or a chair, lift one leg straight out in front of you. Hold the position for a second or two and return to the floor. Squeeze your leg muscles as you straighten your leg.

Butt squeezes are good for keeping that bottom in shape. While sitting down, simply clench your buttocks and hold for a couple of seconds. Release and squeeze again.

Body twists can be done even in a chair. With arms outstretched at the side, twist the body to the right and then to the left, being careful not to swing. This engages the abdominal muscles and also gives you a good stretch in your back.

Who says that you can’t be fit in a wheelchair? If you are frail or have to use a chair, you can still participate in fitness exercises that will improve your health and quality of life.

It doesn’t matter who you are, obtaining weight lifting routines is important to improve your overall health. Weight lifting has been proven to be a healthy activity that in most circumstances, provide better overall health results than doing cardio. For those who are seeking a good ab weight lifting routine, you are in luck. An important and underrated factor that is needed for your weight lifting routines is sleep. So many weight lifters don’t understand the importance of sleep for achieving their goals.

When performing your weight lifting routines, most don’t know that your muscles actually get damaged during the process. Every lift, set and rep you perform tears the muscles for the muscle you are targeting. Weight training and weight lifting routines that can add to your flexibility and muscle strength are recommended for skiers. You also want to strength train especially for the quads. Strong quads can help protect you from the most common skiing injuries like damage to the knees joints from sudden stops or turns. I want you to understand the difference between weight lifting programs and weight lifting routines. Know that you need to have a plan and not just a single routine.

It is the essence of muscle building! For example, it may be easier for one person to gain muscle mass, while another person really has to struggle and work hard. In either case, both people are capable of putting on serious size. One reason people prefer a split-routine workout is that they can devote more energy to the muscles worked on a particular day.

Exercises like squats and bicep curls will help strengthen the muscles we use in everyday movements. Often these movements are difficult for obese people. If you want to build big biceps we have the best bicep building exercises coupled with all the information on creative and muscle building stacks. We will help you build muscle mass whilst losing body fat.

Before grabbing your weights, always warm up your muscles with a good stretch. Your program should target all the major muscle groups. A lot of people dislike working the lower body because the exercises often seem un-natural and more difficult. And remember that a larger muscle is not necessarily a stronger muscle.