Four Tips for Senior Men to Do Dumbbell Exercises

Recently my grandfather's therapist recommended men's dumbbell exercise for his recovery. However, my grandfather weighs only 120 pounds due to his illness, and he is usually too weak to pick up dumbbells while standing. The weight of the dumbbells, according to the doctor, was appropriate, the exercise technique, however, only required "a little bit of creativity," said the doctor. He offered the following four tips for men's dumbbell exercises.

First, men's dumbbell exercises should always start with warming of the muscles. Stretching is one way to achieve this. Often, someone might pick up a dumbbell and strain a muscle due to lack of preparation. It is recommended that one exercise with dumbbells during aerobic exercises. Also, sometimes joggers carry them while running. And even simmers have been known to take them into the water. The key point to remember is that they should not be picked up without some sort of warming of the muscles.

Second, men's dumbbell exercises should be timed. Best results involve some sort of strategic planning. There is no point in having an inconsistent workout. There should be a scheduled pattern in terms of times per day, times per week, and even times per year. Often, the muscles anticipate the pattern with positive results. When the muscles are unexpectedly forced to perform without any preparation in terms of a schedule, the results become counterproductive and the side effects can be damaging, and even very costly in terms of medical costs at the hospital. Always stick to your schedule and use a strategic timing approach.

The third tip for men's dumbbell exercises is to set goals. Having a schedule without goals is very counterproductive also. Realistic goals are feasible goals. Do not set yourself up for failure by preparing yourself to win a competition if you are not entering one. Men's dumbbell exercises are often supplemental to other workout regimens, so do not make them the whole of your efforts to improve your health. Tell yourself exactly what you hope to accomplish by including them in your work out.

The forth tip for men's dumbbell exercises involves maintaining your leverage. Often, someone could go months without using the dumbbells, only to be over challenged when one decides to return to them. If you maintain some degree of leverage in your workout, then you will not have to work harder to catch up in your progress. Knowing your progress means being aware of the leverage that you have maintained and are seeking to advance. Advancing your progress through productive sessions versus falling behind and working harder to catch up should be your goal. And your goal will be met if you stick to your schedule by maintaining your leverage.

With these tips in mind, the nurse and I were able to assist my grandfather as he lay in bed. We were able to successfully use the four tips for men's dumbbell exercise. We assisted my grandfather not in his lifting the dumbbell, but in allowing him to hold it up, with his arms out in the air, as a way to warm up his muscles. Then, we told my grandfather that his goal was to hold them up at least once a day. He accomplished this by sticking to a fixed schedule with timed sessions, and eventually he gained the leverage to enable him to swing the dumbbells very slightly from left to right without dropping them. These efforts might seem minimal, but within a few months, he was able to hold them up for longer periods of times and gain the approval of the doctor.

Sources:

About.com Exercise
Cheap Dumbbells