Bed Exercises to Tone Arms After 60, 4 Easy Moves

Strengthen and tighten your arms with these exercises you can do from the comfort of bed.

If you are recovering from surgery or your mobility is limited, you may want to learn about bed exercises. These low-impact movements are done lying down, providing an excellent method to maintain muscle strength safely. You’ll also boost flexibility and circulation without worrying about falling.

Arms are a common area to lose muscle and get flabby as you age, and we have a good solution. We spoke with Eric North, The Happiness Warrior—a wellness speaker, coach, and advocate redefining what it means to age with purpose, strength, and emotional vitality, who shares four bed exercises that tighten arm jiggle faster than lifting weights after 60. So put down the dumbbells and let’s get started!

“Simple bed exercises can tighten arm jiggle faster than traditional weight training for people over 60 because they help us leverage consistent, low-load, high-repetition tension that is safer and easier to maintain daily compared to heavy gym weights with extended rest periods,” North tells us. “At this age, muscle tissue responds better to controlled, frequent, and low-strain movement that allows for faster recovery. Consistency is the key to any exercise program, especially as we age.”

Mattress Dips

1. Begin sitting at the edge of the bed, placing your hands on the surface of the mattress beside your hips, fingers facing forward.
2. Lift your hips off the bed.
3. Walk your feet away until your knees, hips, and torso form 90-degree angles.
4. Activate your core and keep your shoulders relaxed as you bend your elbows to lower your hips toward the floor.
5. Press back up until your arms are straight, engaging your triceps as you do so.
6. Keep your back close to the bed for max tricep engagement.
7. Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps (or 1 minute per exercise).

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Close-Grip Pushups

1. Begin kneeling on the bed and position your hands right under your shoulders, closer than shoulder-width.
2. Keeping a tight core, lower your chest while keeping your elbows tucked close to the sides of your ribs.
3. Press back up.
4. Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps (or 1 minute per exercise).

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Bed Skull Crushers

1. Begin by lying down with your back on the bed, holding your hands over your shoulders with light dumbbells or heavy water bottles.
2. Bend at the elbows, lowering the weights toward your temples or beside your eyes.
3. Keep your elbows pointed toward the sky.
4. Completely extend your arms back up.
5. Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps (or 1 minute per exercise).

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Plank Shoulder Taps

1. Assume a forearm plank position on the mattress.
2. Keep your hips still as you lift your right hand to tap your left shoulders.
3. Return to the forearm plank position.
4. Repeat on the other side.
5. Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps (or 1 minute per exercise).

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Lying Around-the-Worlds

1. Begin by lying flat on your back with your arms at your sides.
2. Gradually lift your straight arms in a wide circular motion over your head until your thumbs meet each other behind your head.
3. Then, bring them back down in a wide arc motion.
4. Make sure your arms stay tight throughout.
5. Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps (or 1 minute per exercise).

Alexa Mellardo

Alexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home. Read more about Alexa