As you get older, pay attention to our muscles become fundamental. Not only to stay fit, but to be stronger later, when, for obvious reasons, we will start to move less and have more difficulties. This is why muscle strengthening after 50 is very important, because we will be at a stage where we can gain or lose muscle very easily.
One of the most affected areas is the skin of the arms, which tends to lose firmness and tone. After all, we still use our legs, but these days our arms are hardly stimulated by office work or being directly retired. This is where the famous “bat wings” appearthe typical sagging that occurs when raising your arms.
The importance of maintaining your muscles after 50
In fact, studies conclude that after age 40, muscle mass loss begins to accelerate. In fact, you can lose up to 8% per decade. Therefore, the age limit is 50 years, at which we can still recover lost muscle and generate new ones. Strength training plays a crucial role, not only in increasing muscle mass, but also in improving bone density, mobility and, in general, our quality of life.
The best is go to a gym or a specialized center. But if you want to become more self-taught and don’t have weights at home, there are a few exercises that are perfect for starting to strengthen your arms.
How to do the “Bench Dips” exercise
- Starting position: Sit on the edge of a bench with your hands resting on the edge, fingers facing forward.
- Body position: Slide your glutes off the bench, keeping your legs straight in front of you or bent if you’re a beginner.
- Downward movement: Slowly lower your body to the floor by bending your elbows. Keep your back straight and your elbows slightly inward.
- Upward movement: Push with your arms to come back up, without fully extending your elbows at the end of the movement.
This exercise not only strengthens the triceps, but also works the shoulders and chestproviding a complete upper body workout.
Track your fitness with Apple Watch and support yourself with targeted workouts from Apple
Apple Watch is the perfect companion for leading a healthier life. Thanks to the activity rings, you will be able to check if you have moved enough or if you need to go for a walk in the afternoon to end the day on a high note. The Activity app will be your guide to knowing that you’ve done the right thing and the Training app will be the app that will mark everything you do. If you’re thinking about doing an arm workout like the one we detailed above, head over to Workout app > scroll to “Add a workout” > and select “Functional Strength Training”. Even if it’s ten minutes of training a day, it all counts.
If you’re not sure where to start, or you feel a little awkward doing the exercises on your own, I recommend Apple Fitness+. It’s like “the Netflix of gyms.” I do two training sessions per week and these are guided courses by people whose movements you just have to follow. I promise you that you will have many sores.
You can choose different types of training depending on your age and physical preparation. There is yoga, pilates, cardio, abs, strength… In addition, in each training there are three people with intensity changes so you can focus on exactly what works for you. If you’re just starting out, you’ll usually do the person on the left. You have a five-minute workout and you can pause it whenever you need to.
Cover image | Zinkevych on Freepik
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