Over 50? If You Can Do These 6 Bodyweight Basics, Your Body Is Still Young
As we age, staying active becomes both more challenging and more essential. I'm Josh York, Founder & CEO of GYMGUYZ, the world's largest personal training company with over 150 locations across 30 states and 3 countries. My passion for fitness began during my high school hockey days and led me to build a company dedicated to making fitness accessible to everyone. If you're over 50 and wondering how to maintain your strength and mobility, these six simple bodyweight exercises can help you assess and improve your fitness level.
Common Fitness Challenges for Adults Over 50
There are a variety of natural and common fitness challenges that are observed in adults over 50. Some of those challenges include joint pain and stiffness, loss of muscle mass, slower metabolism, reduced flexibility and mobility, balance and coordination decline, cardio endurance decline, fear of injury, difficulty recovering, and most importantly a lack of motivation or accountability. While all of these are typical as we age, each challenge is possible to overcome with the right positive mindset.
Why Bodyweight Exercises Benefit People Over 50
While bodyweight exercises primarily focus on building muscle and strength, these exercises also help improve balance and reduce injury risk. These workouts help by producing lean muscle to aid in everyday tasks such as carrying groceries and climbing stairs. They also assist with balance and body awareness, while supporting joint function through strong muscles. They can help too with managing and preventing chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis.
6 Bodyweight Moves to Keep You Strong After 50
Squats
How to do each exercise correctly: Begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold your arms straight in front of you or hold a weight. Bend at your hips and lower until your knees are at 90-degrees. Stand up slowly to return to the starting position.
How often someone should be able to do them: Someone should be able to do squats two to three times per week.
Why each one matters for healthy aging: When it comes to everyday movements such as sitting in a chair or picking something up, this exercise is critical to build leg strength. It works your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core to help with all your daily tasks.
Easier versions for beginners: As a beginner, try putting a box or chair under you to help control how low you go and creating a pause at the bottom, making it easier to stand back up. Begin with just bodyweight squats to help focus on form.
Push-Ups
How to do each exercise correctly: Lie flat on your stomach. Place your hands under your shoulders. Raise up to a high plank position. Bend your arms at the elbows to lower yourself to the ground. Push back up to the start position.
How often someone should be able to do them: Perform this exercise three to four times per week with eight to 12 reps per set.
Why each one matters for healthy aging: Push-ups build upper body strength to help lift and carry items in your everyday life like groceries. They also help to improve stability in your body.
Easier versions for beginners: Two easier options are to start by doing push up leaning against a wall or doing the exercise on your knees instead of your toes. This will allow you focus on form and building arm strength.
Mistakes to watch out for: Start by focusing on your hand placement to ensure you are in a proper starting position. Avoid letting your hips sag as you perform the workout and engage your core throughout.
Lunges
How to do each exercise correctly: Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart. Activate your core and place your hands on your hips. Step forward with one leg and bend until your knees are at 90-degrees. Raise back up and step back. Repeat with the opposite leg.
How often someone should be able to do them: Lunges should be performed two to three times per week.
Why each one matters for healthy aging: Besides just improving your leg strength, but challenging your balance and stability.
Easier versions for beginners: Alternatives for beginners are walking lunges or reverse lunges which are typically more stable. These also put less stress on your knees.
Mistakes to watch out for: Common mistakes when doing lunges include lifting your heels, leaning forward, and taking too big or too small of a step.
Planks
How to do each exercise correctly: Lie flat on your stomach. Position your hands under your shoulder. Push up with your weight on your hands and toes. Keep your back in a straight line and hold.
How often someone should be able to do them: These would ideally be able to be performed every day with the hold length gradually increasing with each rep.
Why each one matters for healthy aging: Planks assist in building shoulder stability and muscle endurance for your abs, lower back, shoulders, neck, and legs.
Easier versions for beginners: Alternate versions for beginners would be to hold a lower plank on your forearms or using your knees to hold you up with your arms instead of your toes.
Mistakes to watch out for: The two biggest mistakes when performing planks are sagging or raising the hips. These errors will put stress on your lower back.
Jumping Jacks
How to do each exercise correctly: Stand up straight with your legs together. Extend your arms fully by your side. Jump your legs out and swing your arms overhead on each side then back down.
How often someone should be able to do them: Someone should be able to do this workout two to three times per week with 20 to 30 jumping jacks per set.
Why each one matters for healthy aging: This is a high-intensity cardio workout that burns fat and calories to help with healthy aging.
Easier versions for beginners: A very simple alternative is to do step jacks. This focuses on one leg at a time with a slower pace. It is a great alternative for those with joint issues too.
Mistakes to watch out for: Being off tempo with your jumping, such as arms not being out while your legs are out, is a common mistake. You also need to remember to keep your core engaged throughout the exercise.
Glute Bridges
How to do each exercise correctly: Lie flat on your back. Bring your knees up so your feet are flat. Place your hands by your side or on your hips. Raise your hips slowly while engaging your core and glutes. Slowly lower back to the ground.
How often someone should be able to do them: Glute bridges should be able to be done two to three times per week.
Why each one matters for healthy aging: This exercise focuses on your glute muscles are critical in maintaining stability, balance and posture.
Easier versions for beginners: An easier version would be a single glute bridge where you leave one foot on the ground and alternate.
Mistakes to watch out for: The most common mistake is overextending your lower back. This will put unnecessary strain on it. It is also important to remember to fully engage your glutes while keeping your spine neutral.
Incorporating These Movements Into Your Weekly Routine
Incorporating these moves into your weekly routine is simple yet effective. Pick two to three days throughout the week where you can perform a set of each exercise in under 30 minutes, or even space them out throughout the day by doing each workout individually. Stick to a time that can remain consistent such as right when you wake up or at night before dinner. Each person's routine will be personalized to what works for their schedule.
Advice for Those Who Struggle With These Movements
Take a step back and slow the movements down. Focus on the individualized movements of each exercise by breaking it down into smaller, easier steps. This will help not only with results but form to limit the potential for injury.
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