Arm Raise Exercise for Seniors

Exercise Instructions

1. Sit in armless chair with your back supported by back of chair.

2. Keep feet flat on floor even with your shoulders.

3. Hold hand weights straight down at your sides, with palms facing inward.

4. Raise both arms to side, shoulder height.

5. Hold the position for 1 second.

6. Slowly lower arms to sides. Pause.

7. Repeat 8 to 15 times.

8. Rest; then do another set of 8 to 15 repetitions.

Senior's Extra Exercise Tip

Regular physical activity may help improve memory in older men and women. As part of the Fitness for the Agining Brain Study (FABS), Australian researchers followed 138 participants - average age almost 69 - for six months as half of them incorporated 20 minutes of physical activity a day into their routines. The other half served as a control group by not increasing activity. In this first study of its kind, the researchers found a modest improvement in memory, with the benefits lasting at least six months after the study stopped.