Strength training is especially important for senior citizens due to the fact that muscle strength declines by 15 percent per decade after age 50 and 30 percent per decade after age 70. According to an article published by the journal "American Family Physician," resistance training can result in 25 to 100 percent strength gains in older adults through muscle growth and increased motor unit recruitment. Because your posture and upper body power and mobility originate form your back muscles, back strengthening exercises are of particular importance.
Seated Row
A seated row will help strengthen your shoulders and upper back. Sit in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart. Place the center of a resistance band under both feet and hold each end of the band with your palms facing inward. Begin with your back straight and your arms extended by your legs. Pull both elbows back until your hands reach your hips. Hold this position for one breath and then carefully return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise 10 to 15 times.
Horizontal Arm Pull
The horizontal arm pull will target your posterior shoulder and upper back muscles. Sit tall in a sturdy chair with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Loosely wrap the ends of a resistance band around your hands shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms to the front of your body at shoulder-level. Keeping your wrists and elbows straight, hold the band firmly with your left hand and gently pull to the side with your right. Return your right arm to the starting position and then repeat the exercise five more times, progressively increasing your range of motion. Repeat the exercise with your other arm.
Reverse Fly
The reverse fly exercise will strengthen the muscles of your upper back and shoulders. Secure a resistance band to a sturdy object such as a door knob. Place a sturdy chair 2 to 3 feet away from the door. Grasp an end of the band with each hand and sit in the chair. Sit far enough away from the door that there is tension in the band when your arms are extended. Begin with your arms straight out in front of your chest. Straighten your back and contract your abdominal muscles. Maintaining this position and keeping your arms straight, slowly open up your arms as wide as possible by squeezing your shoulder blades. Pause at the end of the movement and then slowly return to the starting position. Perform 12 to 15 repetitions of the reverse fly.
Pull-Down
The pull-down exercise works nearly every muscle in your back including the large latissimus dorsi. Position a sturdy chair so that it is facing the edge of an open door. Loop a resistance band over the top of the door so that the ends of the band hang evenly. Grasp one end of the band in each hand and then sit in your chair. Begin with your arms extended overhead grasping the band, which should have tension. Contract your abdominal muscles and then pull the band toward your chest by bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Carefully extend your arms and return to the starting position. Complete 12 to 15 repetitions of the exercise.
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