The Best Exercises To Do in Your 60s To Slow Down Aging, Trainer Says
Besides losing fat, one of the most challenging tasks to address in the aging process is building a solid level of fitness. This means gaining and maintaining muscle while having good cardio conditioning and flexibility. Unfortunately, as you get older, your body starts to decline and lose muscle mass, power, mobility, and endurance. That is unless you perform the right activities to preserve it! You came to the right place, because we're here with the best exercises to slow down aging in your 60s.
First up in the process is to live an active lifestyle. In addition, it's important to include strength training and cardio on a regular basis. These are key ingredients to having a good quality of life. For most people, I recommend performing strength training at a minimum of two to three times each week. In between is a great time to focus on full-body workouts and doing aerobic exercise. Not only are these steps important for your overall wellness, but they also provide opportunities to get to the gym, on the trails, and in classes with other fitness enthusiasts!
If you're in your 60s and want to slow down the aging process, here are a few exercises you can incorporate into your workout routine. It's never too late to get started. Aim for 3 sets of the following.
Dumbbell Hip Thrusts
Dumbbell Hip Thrusts start with you positioning your upper back on a bench or other sturdy surface. Your feet should be in front of you and a dumbbell should be on your lap. Keeping your core tight, lower your hips down toward the ground, then drive through the heel, squeezing your glutes hard at the top for a second. Come down until control to the starting position before you perform another rep. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Related: 5 Exercise Habits to Slow Muscle Aging, Trainer Reveals
Dumbbell Rows
For Dumbbell Rows, you'll need to position yourself parallel to a bench, keeping one hand and knee firmly planted on the surface for balance. Grip a dumbbell with your opposite hand and your arm straight toward the floor. Then, pull the dumbbell up to your hip, squeezing your lats and upper back at the very end of the movement. Straighten your arm back down, and complete a nice stretch at the bottom before performing the next rep. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps with each arm.
Related: Regain Muscle Mass After 60 With These Free Weight Exercises
Split Squats
Get into position for the Split Squat with one foot forward and one foot back. With your chest tall and core tight, lower yourself under control until your back knee touches the ground, getting a solid stretch at the bottom of the motion. Push through the heel of your front leg to rise back up, flexing your quad and glute to finish. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps on one side before switching legs. If your body weight alone is too easy, you can do this movement with a pair of dumbbells.
Machine Chest Presses
Next up will be Machine Chest Presses. To begin, sit back into your machine with both arms on the handles. Keep your core tight, and press the weight forward until your arms are fully extended. Flex your chest and triceps to finish, then lower the weight back under control to the starting position before performing another rep. Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.
Turkish Get-Up
Next up in our exercises to slow down aging in your 60s is the Turkish Get-Up. Begin the movement by lying flat on the floor. Hold either a dumbbell or kettlebell above you with one hand and your knee bent and your foot planted on the same side. With your opposite hand, position it 45 degrees out to the side. Push through your planted foot and raise the weight up to the sky.
As you come up, shift your body to the opposite side and get up. Keep your arm straight overhead, and lift your hips off the ground until they're fully extended. Slowly begin bringing the opposite leg behind you so that your knee's planted. You should be in a lunge position with your hand, knee, and foot in a straight line. From the kneeling lunge position, stand up straight with the weight overhead. Once you're standing up, simply reverse the process step by step back to the floor while keeping your eyes on the weight. Perform 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps with each arm.
Bike Sprints
Get ready for some cardio to wrap things up. Hop on an exercise bike (or a road bike), and if needed, perform a 2 to 3-minute steady-state warmup. To get into the sprint work, start with bursts of 15 to 20 seconds, resting for 20 to 40 seconds, and then repeating for 6 to 10 rounds.
