10 Best Strength-Building Exercises for Older Adults

10 Best Strength-Building Exercises for Older Adults

Building strength can be possible for all ages depending on the exercises you do. Here are the best strength-building exercises for older adults.

After the age of 30, all of us will go through sarcopenia, or the natural process of losing muscle mass. With each decade that goes by, you may lose anywhere between 3% to 5% of your muscle mass.

Not only does this result in feelings of weakness, but it may also increase your chances of injury. To fight this, you should consider not only adding things like vitamin B12 to your diet, but also doing strength-building exercises.

Are you wondering about which full-body workouts you can do as an older adult to keep yourself in shape? Then you’re in the right place! Here are ten of the best ones you should consider adding to your weekly workout schedule.

1. Wall Pushups

If you find yourself unable to do regular pushups as you get older, you don’t necessarily have to give up this strength-building exercise. Here’s a modification on it that allows you to build up your arm muscles without exerting yourself as much.

Stand facing a wall with a bit of space in between. Lean forward a little and put your hands against the wall with your palms flat, spaced as if you were doing a real pushup on the floor.

Now bend your elbows and lean into the wall, putting most of your body weight on your arms. Once you get close to the wall, hold for a few seconds, and then push away slowly back to your original position.

You can repeat these wall pushups as many times as you’re comfortable with.

2. Squats

You may have already done this exercise earlier in your life, as it’s a popular one. It strengthens your entire body, which means you’ll see improvements in your physique just from adding squats into your daily routine.

To do squats, stand with your feet slightly apart. Reach out in front of you and hold your arms out, parallel to the floor.

Slowly lower yourself by bending your knees, keeping your back straight as you do this. Hold this lowered position for a few seconds, and then slowly straighten your knees to a standing position again.

Exercising with weights can be a good idea when you do squats. Hold some light weights in your hands as you do this exercise to tone up your arms a little at the same time.

If you find squats difficult to do, you can also place a chair behind you so you can catch yourself if you ever fall.

3. Hip Bridges

Hip bridges are very easy to do and are one of the best exercises for improving balance. This exercise will help you strengthen the gluteal muscles found on your rear, which are some of the biggest muscles in your body. As a result, this can improve your overall strength.

To do hip bridges, lie down on the floor, with your knees bent. Bringing out the yoga mat might be a good idea for this exercise (and some of the rest on this list). Keep your feet flat on the floor and put your arms to either side, flat on the floor as well.

Squeeze your gluteal muscles, then slowly and gently lift your hips up. When you’re in a raised position like a “bridge,” hold it for a few seconds and then slowly lower yourself to a flat position again.

Do as many reps as you feel comfortable with.

4. Toe Stands

Here’s another strength-building exercise that’ll help improve your balance. As a result, you’ll experience less clumsiness and fewer injuries.

To start, place a chair in front of yourself. Or you can stand in front of a counter that’s about waist level. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold onto the chair loosely.

Slowly raise yourself by putting all your weight on your toes and lifting your heels, as if you were tiptoeing. When you’re as high up as you can be, hold this position for a few seconds. Then, lower yourself down to the floor again.

5. Side Planks

You may have heard of the plank, which is where you basically hold your body up while on your elbows and toes. Side planks are similar but work on strengthening your shoulders and the side element of your core stability.

First, lie down on your side and prop yourself up on one bent elbow. Now lift your hips off the floor by tightening up your core. Your body should be one nice diagonal line from your head to toes.

Hold this position for as long as you can, and then relax to lower your hips back to the floor. Repeat this exercise, but with the other side.

If you find side planks difficult, you can try stacking your knees on the floor instead of your feet. This should make this exercise a bit easier.

6. Tricep Extension

For this exercise, you’ll need a medicine ball; make sure it’s not too heavy. You can do this one either sitting or standing.

While holding the medicine ball, extend your arms all the way up over your head, with them touching your ears. Slowly bend your elbows behind your head until the ball is directly behind your head. Now bring the ball back to its original position.

If you’re struggling to find the energy to incorporate more exercises into your daily routine, think about taking Adrafinil powder. It’s not as intense as energy drinks or amphetamine-derived psychostimulants, which means you can improve your energy levels without increased anxiety or a faster heart rate.

7. Dead Bug

The dead bug exercise is great for improving your balance, strength, and core stability. So if there’s an exercise you need to incorporate into your routine, it’s this one!

You’ll need to start off by lying flat on your back. Put your arms straight out so they’re perpendicular to the floor. Raise your legs too, but bend them at the knee so your shin is parallel to the floor.

Lower one leg so it’s completely parallel with the floor and place one arm behind your head so it’s also parallel with the floor. You should really feel your core working to keep everything in the right position.

Hold for a few seconds, then return your arm and leg to their original positions. Now do the same, but with the other arm and leg.

Like with the other exercises on this list, you can repeat the dead bug exercise as many times as you can.

8. Wall Angels

If you suffer from back pain, this can be a very helpful exercise to do. It can also improve your posture to prevent pain in the future.

To do this exercise, stand against a wall with your back to it. Put your feet a few inches in front.

Place your arms by your head at a bent angle so they form almost a “U” or football goal post shape. Make sure the entirety of your arms is touching the wall.

Now slowly raise your arms along the wall, but not so far that your elbows aren’t bent anymore. Hold the position for a few seconds, then lower them to their original positions.

Do as many reps as you feel comfortable with.

9. Abdominal Twist

To do the abdominal twist, you’ll need a chair with no arms. Sit in it, with your feet flat on the floor, and slightly spread apart. Put your arms in your lap, with your elbows resting against your sides.

Slowly twist your body to face the right, back to the middle, then to the left, and back to the middle again. Make sure that only your shoulders and torso are rotating and that your arms are staying put.

Repeat this for about 20 times for 2 or 3 reps.

10. Hamstring Curls

In this exercise, you’ll strengthen the back parts of your legs, which are often neglected when it comes to full-body workouts.

To do hamstring curls, start out standing in front of a chair. You can hold onto it at any time if you need help balancing.

Bend your knee upward so your heel is almost touching your rear. Keep your knee pointed toward the ground and close to the other knee, and hold this position for a few seconds. Lower it back to the ground and repeat it on the other leg.

For more strength training, you can add a resistance band around your ankles.

Try These Strength-Building Exercises for a Healthier Life

Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to a feeling weaker and more feeble. If you keep up with regular exercise, especially strength-building exercises, you can feel just as young as you were a decade ago.

It’s important to not only maintain a good workout routine but also eat healthily and keep your weight in a reasonable range. By doing all you can to keep your body in great shape, you’ll feel fantastic for years to come.

Make sure you get all the nutrients and minerals you need to keep your energy and health up. Take a look at our selection of vitamins now!

Fitness, Strength


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