One of the best things you can do for your future self is to focus on strength and stability now — before you hit your 60’s.
I’m a firm believer that it’s never too late to start exercising. But as a certified personal trainer with plenty of older clients, I find that those who started strength training in their 30’s, 40’s, or even 50’s often move better, have steadier balance, and experience less pain than those who began training later in life.
If you’ve yet to cross the “60” mark, grab a set of dumbbells and start doing these 3 lower-body exercises during your workouts. These compound movements target multiple muscle groups that are essential for everyday activities. For those over 60 already, practicing these moves can help you strengthen your lower body and maintain your independence as you age.
How to do the 3 lower-body exercises
Consult with your doctor before trying any new activity. If you’re a beginner, consider meeting with a certified personal trainer to learn proper exercise form. A trainer can also help modify or progress the exercises as needed for your fitness level.
You’ll need a set of moderately-heavy dumbbells and a yoga mat for these exercises.
These 3 moves can be done as their own workout, or they can be added to an already-existing lower-body routine. Beginners should start by doing each exercise for 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps. As you build strength, add an additional 1-2 sets and increase your reps to 15. If you’re able to do 3-4 sets of 15 reps without feeling fatigued, try using heavier dumbbells or seeking guidance from a personal trainer on appropriate progressions.
This routine can be done 2-4 times per week, with at least one rest day in between each attempt.
The exercises are:
1. Weighted glute bridge
- Lie on your mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Place a dumbbell across your hips.
- Engage your abdominals.
- Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips off the mat.
- Pause briefly.
- Lower your hips back to the mat.
- Continue for 10-15 reps.
2. Goblet squat
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
- Grab a dumbbell by the bell and hold it at chest level.
- Engage your abdominals.
- Hinge your hips behind you.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips towards the floor.
- Pause briefly.
- Stand back up to the starting position.
- Continue for 10-15 reps.
3. Romanian deadlift
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
- Engage your abdominal muscles.
- Hinge your hips behind you.
- Bend your knees slightly as you continue driving your hips behind you, bringing your torso forward and letting the dumbbells drop towards the ground.
- Squeeze your glutes, drive your hips forward, and stand tall.
- Continue for 10-15 reps.
Benefits of the 3 lower-body exercises
These moves are all compound exercises, meaning they work multiple lower body muscle groups at once: the hamstrings, glutes, hip abductors, hip adductors, and quadriceps. Additionally, the goblet squat and Romanian deadlift target the shoulders, back, and deep core muscles.
As we age, our balance often worsens, our bone density and muscle mass can decrease, and everyday activities can become more difficult. The exercises in this workout strengthen muscles that help us walk, run, climb stairs, and lift heavy objects off the ground. These muscles also support our spine and pelvis, which helps us to maintain balance as we move.
Engaging in a strength training routine like this one has also been shown to preserve musculoskeletal health, according to the CDC.
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