10-minute strength training exercises for seniors Exercises and routines to build muscle, balance, and stamina

Even long-time couch potatoes should be able to understand this beginner-friendly guide to strength workouts for seniors. Physical trainer Deboo keeps it short and simple. He also makes a compelling case for the importance of getting and staying strong. The benefits include promoting fat loss, preventing falls and injuries, decreasing inflammation, and leading a "more active and fulfilling life." A picture of an exercise is worth a thousand words, and the illustrations here show proper positions for everything from arm curls to "dead bug." With 40 individual exercises and 25 combined routines, this book should help seniors target many muscles. "Easy modifications" include using a chair for balance and support during "the stork." Overachievers can try "challenging modifications," such as using a small ankle weight. The slim volume ends suddenly with the "knee pain knockout" routine, a reference page that lists just five books, perhaps leaving eager beavers wanting more. And some may roll their eyes at age-old advice like, "listen to your body and don't push yourself too hard at the beginning," but this is an ideal starter for exercise newbies.