By the time you reach the age of 60, you will have lost 25% of your muscle mass (a common part of aging). But that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to being “weak.” Fortunately, you can minimize age-related muscle loss and stay strong and balanced through lifestyle changes, including a nutritious diet and physical activity.
Strength training, in particular, can prevent muscle loss, keep bones strong, reduce the risk of falls, fight depression, and prevent mental decline as you age. Strength training includes exercises that build muscle strength by working against a force, whether it be body weight, resistance bands, free weights, or gym machines. When muscles are stressed, small tears occur in your muscle fibers, and as they heal, those fibers grow larger and stronger, resulting in improved muscle mass and strength over time.
Many seniors, especially those who have been inactive recently, find strength training quite intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. So here are 15 great strength moves for seniors if you’re not sure where to start when creating a new gym routine.
1. Overhead Press
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The overhead press is a great exercise for building strength in the arms, shoulders, and upper back. It results in better coordination and balance. This exercise can also help improve shoulder mobility and stability.
Find the chest press machine at your gym, or hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand at chest level with your palms facing forward and your feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale and engage your core. Press the weights overhead until your arms are straight while exhaling. Keep the movements controlled, and don’t lock your elbows out at the top. Hold briefly, then inhale while lowering the weights back down. Aim for 8-12 reps, focusing on good form to avoid injury and get the most benefits. Start with lighter weights and increase as you get stronger.
2. Wall Pushup
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Wall push-ups are a simpler (easier) version of traditional push-ups that help strengthen your arms, shoulders, and chest. It is sometimes challenging to do push-ups on the ground, so wall push-ups are an effective alternative to build strength. When you push against the wall, it reduces some of the load on the upper body and makes it easier to do more reps before muscle fatigue.
To do a wall push-up, stand facing a wall slightly more than arm’s length away. Place your hands on the wall at shoulder height, bend your elbows, and bring your upper body towards the wall. Pause briefly, then push yourself back to the starting position. Repeat 10-12 times, resting for a minute between sets.
3. Triceps Dip
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Triceps dips are a great functional arm exercise that strengthens your arms and improves stability. They also help with joint flexibility and can ease elbow stiffness.
To do triceps dips, sit on a sturdy chair, place your hands on the edge, and slide forward so your hips are off the seat. Lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree bend (if you can go that far), then push back to the original position. Go for 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps, focusing on controlled movement and maintaining good form.
4. Bicep Curl
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Bicep curls are an important upper-body exercise focusing on some of the bigger upper arm muscles (biceps). These exercises help you maintain the strength needed for everyday tasks like lifting groceries.
Start by holding a dumbbell at your side, with your palm facing toward your leg and your shoulders even. Lift the weight toward your shoulder, turning your palm up as you lift. Lower your arm back down and repeat for ten reps for 2-3 sets. Make sure to fully straighten and bend your arm, keeping your shoulders back. Lift the weight as you breathe out and lower it as you breathe in.
5. Chest Press
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The chest press is a basic upper-body exercise that targets your chest muscles, shoulders, and arms. It mimics daily pushing movements and can help strengthen the muscles needed to push a shopping cart or open a heavy door.
Lie on your back on a bench (or find the machine at your gym, like the pic above) with your feet planted firmly on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle and your upper arms parallel to the floor. Press the weights upward and straighten your elbows until your arms are fully extended over your chest. Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
6. Seated Row
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Seated rows are safe exercises that strengthen the upper back, improve posture, and reduce the risk of back pain in seniors.
It’s easiest to find a seated row machine at the gym, but if you don’t have access to one, you can opt for a resistance band instead. Sit with your legs out in front of you, and a band looped around the middle of your feet. Grab a hold of the band with one side in each hand, and pull the band back towards your waist as you squeeze the shoulder blades together, keeping your elbows close to your body. Slowly extend your arms back to the starting position.
7. Squats
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Squats are one of the most recommended exercises for seniors (or anyone). They work on your core, hips, thighs, and buttocks muscles. Squats are beneficial for building lower-body strength and enhancing mobility, which is particularly important to maintain independence in daily activities.
To squat, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and extend your arms in front of you. Lower your body as if you are preparing to sit. Pause at the bottom before standing back up. Repeat this 10 to 12 times, resting for a minute between sets for up to 3 sets. If you are new to squats, you can use a chair for support or start with partial squats.
8. Lunges
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Lunges are compound exercises that work the calves (back of the lower leg), quadriceps (front of the thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), and glutes (buttocks) to improve balance and stability. They are especially useful for seniors because they target almost every muscle in the lower body.
A lunge position also reduces the tightness of the front hip muscles due to prolonged sitting. Plus, because they involve large muscle groups in the lower body, they are beneficial for improving metabolism.
Start your lunge by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Step forward with one leg and lower your body until both knees bend at a 90-degree angle (if you have a knee problem or find this awkward, you can keep the back leg straight). Use your front foot to push up and return to the starting position, then switch legs and repeat the movement for 10 reps on each leg for 2-3 sets. Focus on moving steadily to keep good form and reduce the risk of injury
9. Knee Extension
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As the name suggests, knee extension exercise helps improve knee balance and stability.
Seated knee extensions are popular among seniors as they are easy to perform and help strengthen thigh muscles (quadriceps and hamstrings), which support the knees and are important for walking or climbing stairs.
To perform knee extensions, sit comfortably in a chair and straighten one leg out in front of you, keeping your toes pointed toward the ceiling. Hold this position before slowly lowering your foot back to the floor for 10 reps and 2-3 sets. Don’t forget to switch legs! You can also add ankle weights, find a machine, or try a resistance band for an added challenge.
10. Calf Raise
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Calf raises are effective for strengthening the lower legs, especially the calves. Weak calf muscles can make it difficult to walk comfortably. This increases the chances of ankle injury, such as an Achilles tendon rupture. To avoid these issues, include calf raises in your routine to improve blood flow to the feet and help eliminate swollen feet or varicose veins.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart to perform calf raises while holding onto a stable surface like a chair or wall for support. Raise your heels as high as possible, then lower them back down. Complete 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions, slow and controlled.
11. Sit-to-Stand
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Seniors often struggle with standing up from a chair because of weak muscles and stiff joints. The sit-to-stand exercise is a functional movement that helps seniors strengthen their legs, core, and back muscles. It’s particularly beneficial for improving mobility and independence in daily activities, such as getting up from a chair or out of bed.
To do this exercise, sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands on the armrests. Lean forward, engage your core, and push through your heels to stand up. Lower yourself back down with control. Start slowly, focus on good posture, and consider how your body feels. Start with 10 repetitions and shoot for 3 sets. You can make the exercise easier by using a higher chair or adding cushions. You can also make it harder by sitting on a ball or another unsteady surface.
12. Side Hip Raise
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The side hip raise strengthens your lower body and supports your hip health, which is important for lower body stability with weight-bearing activities. To perform the exercise, lie on your right side with your hips and shoulders evenly stacked. Keep your toes pointed straight in front of you and avoid locking your knees. Lift your left leg slightly up. Pause, then lower your leg back down.
Repeat this ten times with your left leg and then roll to your other side for another ten times with your right leg to complete one set. Rest, then do a second set of 10 repetitions with each leg.
13. Bridge
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The bridge move is important for strengthening the abs, hips, and glutes, which support leg stability and movement. This exercise improves hip extension strength, which is needed for walking, climbing stairs, and standing up.
To perform a bridge, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off the ground and hold for three seconds before lowering. Aim to complete ten repetitions per set for a total of three sets.
14. Plank
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Planks are popular and effective exercises for strengthening your core and abdominal muscles. Strong abdominal muscles are needed to perform daily activities like walking, lifting, and maintaining balance. While there are many variations in plank exercises, a forearm plank on knees is the best suited for seniors. If it’s too hard, it can be modified to a wall, as a push-up can too.
To do a forearm plank, lie face down with your forearms parallel and knees lightly resting on the ground while you lift your body, keeping your back straight. Engage your core while balancing on your forearms and knees. Hold for 20-30 seconds for up to 3 sets, and gradually increase the time as you get stronger. Breathe slowly and avoid sagging your hips or arching your back.
15. Farmer’s Walk
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The farmer’s walk is a simple but effective full-body workout that increases grip strength, core stability, and overall well-being as it engages various muscle groups. It also improves heart rate and contributes to heart health.
Get a pair of light to moderate dumbbells you can comfortably hold for a prolonged amount of time. Stand with your feet and arms down at your sides. Engage your core and look straight ahead. Walk forward with controlled steps, holding the weights as you swing your arms gently. Try to walk for a set distance or time, maintaining good posture.