If you are a senior or individual with mobility issues and struggles, having proper balance and core strength is incredibly important. Without these two components of fitness, you simply will not be able to live your life at the highest capability and fulfillment. The video above will show you one of our favorite exercise for seniors that we like to use to help improve your strength, stability, and balance. The best thing about this exercise, is that all you need is a dumbbell or weight to complete it! The set that we use and demonstrate in the video is an adjustable dumbbell set. If you are somebody who enjoys working out a lot from home, having a set of these is incredibly useful as it offers a wide range of exercise options with the quick adjusting of weights. If you would like to check out the set of dumbbells that we have in the video above, feel free to check out our the Amazon link below to see for yourself the options available.

Adjustable Dumbbell Set From Amazon: Shop here

Single Arm Dumbbell Carry

Once you have a weight set, or something heavy you can hold onto, you are ready to begin then single arm dumbbell carry. This exercise is incredibly easy to setup and complete. The biggest aspect of the setup is to find a room, hallway, or space that is long enough that you can walk for a decent distance. Ideally a distance that is at least 20-25 feet would be the minimum amount. With an open space picked out, you are ready to go.

Normal Carry

For the normal single arm dumbbell carry, you will pick up your dumbbell or weight that you have been using, and hold it to one side of your body. Next, you are going walk all the way down to the length of the distance you picked up for yourself, and then walk all the way back. Although this might not seem like it is doing much, you are actually challenging your core and balance muscles in your body tremendously! Complete this exercise for a few times down and back, until you start to feel tired.

Testing Your Balance

To make this exercise a little more difficult, we can increase the challenge on your balance. The way I demonstrate this in the video, is by “walking the tightrope” while holding the dumbbell to the side of my body. So instead of doing a normal walk down and back on your distance, you will walk the distance with your feet in a heel to toe position the entire time. If you watch the video above, this shows a much better explanation of how to do this. You will immediately notice how much tougher this is on your balance. One reason is that the heel to toe walk narrows your base when stepping, increasing the challenge on your balance. Another reason is because the weight you are holding to your side is constantly pulling your body down on one side, also challenging your balance.

The single are dumbbell carry is a great exercise to improve your balance, core strength, and even grip strength. If you are a senior or older adult, start small with a lighter dumbbell and distance to walk. Over time, as you gain confidence, increase the weight and test yourself! We hope you enjoy this exercise, and notice some improvements in your strength and balance.

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