Toned arms after 50? Yes, it’s possible to get lean, lithe arms you’ll want to show off without going to the gym, says mindful movement teacher Gemma Junyent-King.
My arms are the first thing that women (and some men) notice about me these days, before I even say “Hello.” This started in my early 50s and it caught me by surprise. Some mention my arms straight away, some tell me later. I’m driven by functionality rather than how I look, and believe that there are ways to get strong, toned arms with more awareness of your body and how it moves.
Mind Over Muscle
A toned body comes from understanding how your own body works before following any specific workout routine. How do you sit? How do you stand? How do you walk? It’s shocking to see how many run before getting an answer to these basic questions.
Have you ever heard of the “mind-muscle connection”? Bodybuilders know it very well, especially if they are part of a competition. Incidentally, this is how I met some of my best colleagues and clients who came to my yoga and Pilates classes. Understanding and connecting with your body, while moving with intention and purpose, is fundamental to tone any part of your body.
Those who move mechanically, on “auto-pilot,” are wasting their time, in my opinion. And once we’ve passed our midlife, I feel that we have less time to waste working on this movement – including driving to a gym. The “no pain no gain” trope does not work once you’ve passed midlife. As women, with hormones dancing around and cortisol levels already up, this approach only contributes to craving more sugar, increasing our insulin.
Did you know that high levels of cortisol and insulin accelerate the decline of progesterone and oestrogen? This only increases the negative impact on our bone density, which we need to maintain more of in order to prevent breaks and fractures as we age (arm strength and core connection are also much needed, too).
Getting Strong
Gym settings are helpful if you can walk to one or if you have a dedicated space at home. But they are not the only place to get toned arms. I personally use functional bodyweight movements, workouts, and routines that I have blended into regular practices and that I enjoy while they deliver results. As bipeds (two-legged) in a modern world, we tend to use our arms less than our legs, but driven by overall body functionality, I have learned to optimize muscle activation in my arms over the years.
My workouts are based on the concept of body awareness, postural alignment, mind-muscle connection, tensegrity (a balance between tension and compression), and calisthenics, involving the whole body, both as a structure and as a system, which both yoga and Pilates have been using for centuries. Rhythm (linked to breathwork), plus balance and coordination are also included in my mindful movement practices.
When applying all these principles, you can optimize muscle activation in less time, giving results you can see and feel from early on. And my best-kept secret is that you can apply these principles anywhere, any time. At home, at a friend’s house, at social events, indoors or outdoors… anywhere really! These are functional movements you can do without even realizing it.
Think about getting on and off a chair (even better on and off the floor), picking up a laundry basket, moving shopping bags, carrying your handbag, taking the rubbish out, closing your fist to wring a wet towel, giving shape to a dough, or getting down on all fours to play with your grandkids. These are all movements that require mindful connection and can help you get strong, toned arms when done correctly.
9 Moves for Toned Arms
1. Wall Push-Ups: Place your feet under your hips (or wider) at arm’s length to a wall, shoulder-width apart. With palms on the wall, bend your elbows in line with your wrists while moving your body towards the wall. Start with three rounds of five reps and build up to three rounds of 10.
2. Tricep Dips: Sit at the edge of a chair or bench with your hands in line with your shoulders and your feet positioned forward of your knees so that when you get off the bench and bend your elbows backwards, both your arms and legs are in a right angle (wrists-elbows-shoulders and ankles-knees-hips). Start with one round of five reps and build up to two rounds of 10.
3. Functional Lifts: Pick up something from the floor, keeping your ankles, knees, and hips aligned, your back muscles active, while involving your fingers, arms, and shoulders. Start with one round of five reps and build up to two rounds of 10.
4. Plank Variations: Get into an all-fours position. If you are familiar with the cat-cow yoga posture, do it a few times, then get your spine into a neutral position (where your lower back is not arched or rounded) and tuck your toes, so that you feel the balls of your feet against the floor. Suck the belly in at the same time as you press your hands into the floor and push the floor away while you lift your knees. Spread your fingers out to use the whole hand for support if needed. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat three times until you can hold it for 30 seconds and build up to one minute.
5. Grip Strengthening: Using a tissue or anything you can squeeze, relax the hand and close your fist, making sure that you engage all five fingers, the palm of your hand, your forearm, biceps and triceps, and shoulder. Breathe out as you close the fist. Perform three rounds of 10 reps, holding the last one for 10 seconds.
6. Arm Extensions: Stand tall. Extend both arms out to the side in line with your shoulders and bend the elbows while relaxing the hands. Close your fists as you extend both arms again. Perform three rounds of 10 reps, holding the last one for 10 seconds.
7. Lift and Hold: Sit crossed-legged on the floor, with hands in fists by your hips. Engage your abdominals as you lift your bottom off the floor, pressing into the ground with your fists. Hold for five seconds, building up from three to six rounds.
8. Carrying Bags: Carrying bags is a great functional strength exercise. Swap over if the weight is different or you only carry one bag. I walk for over two hours with this red bag and the weight is 2.5kg.
9. Hanging Exercises: Using a sturdy tree or playground monkey bars, hang your body weight from your arms. Start with 10 seconds and try to build up to holding on for 30.
WORDS AND IMAGES: GEMMA JUNYENT-KING.
Gemma Junyent-King is a holistic movement coach, group exercise instructor, personal trainer, yoga and Pilates teacher. She helps midlife women keep fit and functional through body awareness and mind-muscle connection. She offers private and group sessions online and in the workplace. Find out more about Gemma at linkedin.com/in/gemma-junyent-king.
*NB! Always consult your medical practitioner before starting any new form of exercise.
