“I am a very very active 77 year old. I do all my own housework, tend quite a large garden & have a dog that needs daily exercise. In fact I am more active now than when I was working. Noticed my arms are looking wrinkly & want to deal with this. Can you help with this problem?”

First, congratulations for continuing to be so active! As we grow older we undergo many changes. Skin becomes thinner and looser. This can cause the sagging in the arms, chest, abdomen and face.

There is not much we can do to prevent our skin from changing but we can work on the muscles underneath the skin.

When we strengthen these muscles with resistance exercise like weights and bands, they become toned.

Our muscles are attached to our skin by connective tissue called fascia which pulls on the skin and adds to the look of firmness.

So for the arms we want to work on all the muscles in the upper part. These are the biceps and triceps.

Women can start with a two to five pound weight and men can start with a heavier five to 8 pound weight.

Perform 3 sets of 15 repetition of biceps and triceps exercises at least 3 times per week.

Biceps can be worked by holding the weight in your hand at your side and slowly bringing it up to your shoulder.

Triceps and be worked by holding the weight at shoulder height and slowly raising it toward the ceiling.

Before long you will notice a more toned upper arm while also increasing your ability to reach and use your arm around the house for daily tasks. Good luck!