What exercises help to increase muscle tone as we age?

I’ve found that those exercise bands—the stretchy bands of various resistances the PT/OT folks love—are good for maintaining and building muscle tone. You can begin with light resistance and work your way up, and it’s easy to target specific muscle groups in a gradual and low impact manner.

That's a really good suggestion. It is what my PT recommends - another reason they are useful is that on "bad days" you can still exercise a little - just use the lighter bands.
Sue

Yes, I have one too!
I bough the toughest one so obviously I can't use it. It feels like pulling at a wall. I tried it with my legs, desperate to find anything to hang it from, which I did, and then I had such a cramp that I thought I would make myself some tea and reconsider this band. I should get a lighter one. But I will continue with this one until it works. The silly thing is it's freakishly long. So my tip is: don't buy ones that are too long 😊

Or, you can make the long one work to your advantage. Tied to a stationary object (I use a newel post) I can grab one end in each and and pull in a rowing motion. Or make a loop, slip both feet in and "walk" away (rather like walking in loose sand or wading in water)
Sue

I will have a look at it, it is now hidden from sight so I don't feel guilty, lazy, and unfit all the time 😹

To help maintain but also keep me flexible, I use a railing as an exercise bar and I start with the smallest drop into a squat. I mean inches - I drop ever so little. It is remarkable how small movement patterns can really impact us positively.

If I were more fit I would get back into weight training. There are some easy patterns that really make a difference in balance and strength. Wt training builds muscle well and bonus good for bone building too. The can of soup is waiting for me to be creative (use like a dumbbells)
Anyway it’s fun to find ways to work with my limits. Thanks for your question 🙋🏼‍♀️

Or, tie a knot in the center. Open a door and slip the knot on the other side and close the door on it. Then you have two shorter sections to use for bicep curls or straight-arm pull downs. (I don’t know what they’re actually called). @sueinmn I went to PT and got exercises assigned that continue to work. I’m wondering how to figure out what I can add on my own to help when I am ready to expand. How do you recognize what needs attention?i

avocado is the best you can eat, that gives you an HDL high which is good

That's a great question for the group.
Hello all of you who are trying, like @jlharsh & me, to stay as strong as you can - @slmremy @johncottingham @emil @millerdust @imallears @janet49 @joiful
Please tell us -
Once you get comfortable with a certain set of exercises, how do you figure out what to add to improve your fitness even more?
Where do you find safe, helpful exercises that are appropriate (we're not flexible 20 year olds)any more😁)
What is your favorite, use at home, low cost exercise device?

I'll start - I do squats & toe rises at the kitchen sink/counter while I work. Just not when I have a knife in my hand.

Sue

Tai Chi is a great adjunct program for folks like me with a very painful spine and knees. It’s also easy to modify as needed. There are tons of books on Tai Chi and also plenty of You Tube demonstrations.

Good luck!