Are there any cardio exercises for seniors that mainly use the arms and do not involve walking, biking, using a treadmill, or swimming?
Answers
Chair exercises are the best option in this case. But it’s crucial to pick the right chair. You should be able to sit with your knees bent at 90 degrees. If you use a wheelchair, make sure the brakes are applied, or the chair is fixed to prevent moving mid-exercise.
As you exercise, keep your posture upright. Remember to check your vital signs like blood pressure (in case you have high blood pressure) or your blood sugar (in case you take medication for diabetes or hypoglycemia). Exercising with weights is probably not good for you if you suffer from such issues.
Doing chair aerobics will make your heart beat faster and help you burn calories. Any form of exercise that repeats movements at a rapid pace is likely to give you the same results as a typical cardio workout.
Use a band and wrap it under your chair, couch, bed, or any other pieces of furniture suitable for performing exercises. Start slowly, and don’t expect a strong start. As your physical strength improves with every session, increase the number of activities and repeats, as well as the total workout duration.
You can find many therapy programs at different swimming pools offering exercises for people with wheelchairs. Also, if you can move your legs a little bit, you can try water aerobics exercises. At some gyms, you’ll find types of equipment customized for wheelchair users. These pieces of equipment usually function with rowing or arm bicycling. There are portable versions of these machines for in-home exercises. You may need to attach these portable machines to a table.
Hold your hand up for muscle power:
Intensifying strength with small weights or rubber bands helps improve muscles (bodybuilding) and muscle power. While your feet are soft on the floor, sit or stand, and then keep weights at a vertical distance from the floor to where your shoulder ends and your arms start. Your palms should be in an anatomical position, then raise the weight over your head. Another helpful exercise for muscle power consists of lifting your arms up and out to the side – keep the weight beside yourself. Palms situated on the inside, bring your arm up to your sides- and to front dumbbell movement- keep the weight beside yourself, palms should be down and move up your arms to shoulder height. Repeat this for three sets of 10 reps.
There is not much option for this kind of cardio. You can go for aerobics in the water maybe. There are a few practices you can do in water that is not so intense. Other than that you can do chair exercises. Check this youtube video out so you know how to do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbFz38FUuiA
You can do arm circles. It’s a great way to strengthen your arms and shoulders. You can do the exercise standing up or sitting on a chair; of course, you’ll burn more calories standing up. It’s pretty simple.
Here’s the instruction: extend your arms to your side. Start making clockwise circles with your arms. You don’t have to do it quickly. Count to 30 and then reverse the circles counterclockwise. You can rest for 5 to 10 seconds and repeat the set. If you don’t have any particular problems, you can hold light dumbbells in your hands.
Pushups are also excellent for arm strength. But they’re not that easy. If you are unable to perform pushups, you can do the alternatives.
Wall pushups are accommodating. But you can’t do wall pushups sitting on a chair. You need to stand about two steps away from a wall; standing closer would make it easier.
Put your hands at shoulder height on the wall as you lean forward. Press into the wall with your elbows bent until your face is closer to the surface. After that, extend your arms fully. Repeat. I’d suggest starting with at least 15 wall pushups and developing them as you progress.
Get yourself some lightweight dumbbells from Craigslist, or use empty gallons of milk jugs, fill them with water to create your own “weights.” Do presses and curls with your weights.
Presses mean standing up with the weights at your shoulders and pushing them straight up until your arms are straight overhead.
Curls mean standing with your arms hanging straight down and flexing your arm until the weights are at your chest.
Do one movement (press) until your shoulders and triceps (back of the arms) begin to feel tired, then do the other movement (curls) until your biceps (the muscle on the front of your upper arm) feels tired. Rest for three minutes; Then start again. Adjust the weight to feel tired somewhere around 8–12 repetitions of each exercise. You can do these two or three times each week and notice enhanced muscle tone in your upper arms in about a month.
