Author:  Maria Alfano

Just because they are easy, doesn’t mean these flabby arm exercises are not effective.  Mother Nature plays some dirty little tricks on women from the time they are teenagers until they are post-menopausal and beyond.  Our bodies go through so much.  And, we continue to struggle well into our 50s and beyond.  Flabby arms are the last thing any woman wants to deal with and yet, here we are.

Feeling comfortable in your skin and looking fabulous in your clothes is the aspiration of every woman at any age.  By the time you reach your 50s, you have earned the right to be stunning.  Are the batwing, flabby underarms making you self-conscious?  They did for me.  Then I discovered some really easy exercises I could do at home.

I was getting ready for my second marriage to the love of my life when I looked in the mirror and hated what I saw.  My arms were flabby and sad-looking.  There was no way I would put on a wedding dress looking like that.  I needed to do everything I could to look good for him, for the pictures, but most of all for me.

5 Super Easy Flabby Arm Exercises For Women 50+

Like most women in my 50s, menopause has played havoc with my hormones.  Because of the lowered levels of estrogen and progesterone, my muscle tone all but disappeared.  I had to work harder than ever to stay toned.  It appeared I was losing the battle.  To boot, I had trouble with my knees due to a terrible fall when I was younger.  So, low-impact exercise was all I could do.

This post will provide you with 5 super simple exercises you can do at home with little or no equipment.  They are low-impact.  Best of all, you can do them in less than 10 minutes per day.   Heck, you can even do some of these while you are getting ready in the morning.  How’s that for multi-tasking!!

Arm Circles

Ok, I know you know all about this one.  You had to do this flabby arm exercise in elementary gym class every week.  Yet, as you got older, you forgot all about this baby.  Time to dust it off and put it back into action.  This is the perfect one to do in the shower or while you are on that boring conference call.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.  With your arms outstretched to your sides at shoulder height and palms facing up, make small circles with your arms.  Do this 50x going forward and 50x going backward.  Rest for 30 seconds.  Repeat this with your palms facing down.  You will feel the burn in no time.

Bicep Curls

Get rid of those batwing underarms.  Using weights of 2 lbs or more in each hand, this flabby arm exercise can be done standing or sitting.  Keep your back straight.  Bend your elbow and hold the weights so they are almost resting on your bicep.  Straighten so your arms extend In front of you, keeping the elbows slightly bent.  Bring the weights back to the starting position.   Repeat this 15x for 3 sets.

For an optional exercise and to switch things up, you can choose to straighten the elbow up over your head and bring it back down.  Repeat 15x for 3 sets.

Counter Pushups

Agility can get the better of you as you age.  Getting onto the ground and standing back up again can be a challenge.  This is why counter pushups are the perfect alternative.   Stand 3-4 feet back away from the kitchen counter or workbench.  Keep your feet together and your back straight.  With your arms out in front of you and hands flat on the countertop, slowly lower yourself so that your chest touches the counter.  Slowly push yourself back to the starting position.  Repeat this 20x for 3 sets.

This is a flabby arm workout you can do while waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.  Why just stand around with an empty cup in your hands when you could be making good use of your time.

Chair Dips

Frankly, I never imagined myself doing this batwing arm exercise until I broke my leg.  The first couple of weeks this was the only way I could get myself up and out of my chair.  For this workout, you need a strong sturdy chair.  I would recommend setting it against a wall or having someone stand behind it for extra support.  Put your butt on the edge of the chair.  Your hands are firmly on the seat with your fingers wrapped over the edge.  Slowly lower yourself as close as possible to the ground without touching it.  Slowly bring yourself back to your starting position.  Repeat this 10 to 15x for three sets. If all else fails, you can sit at the bottom of your stairs and lift yourself up from one step to the next using only your arms.

Lift Weights

Use anything you have around the house.  They don’t have to be actual weights.  Use a bottle of water, a can of paint, or a bag full of coins.  Any of these will do.  Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.  Bend your knees and your waist slightly.  With weights in each hand bring your arms up to be parallel with your waist with elbows bent in front of you.  Straighten and bend your elbows keeping your shoulders firm and arms at your side.  Repeat this 10x for 3 sets.

In Summary

You now have 5 super simple flabby arm exercises.  Do one each day of the week.  Do them all on Saturday.  Take a break on Sunday.  These super-simple routines will work out different areas around your arms.  Trust me you will feel!  With workouts and healthy eating habits, you can say bye-bye to those unsightly flabby underarms in no time.

Before doing any exercise, check with your primary caregiver to ensure you will not be causing yourself any unforeseen harm.  This is especially important for women over 60.

We would love to hear from you.  How did these exercises work for you?  Do you have a favorite we didn’t mention?  Tell us about it.