9 Best Floor Exercises To Improve Your Muscular Endurance as You Age
As you age, your body changes quite a bit. But if you want to age like a fine wine, it's critical to spend some effort to take care of your fitness. Why? Well, as you get older, many people experience a decline in many critical areas of their physical condition, one of which is their muscular endurance. So long as you work regular fitness and these floor exercises to improve your muscular endurance as you age, you'll be set.
Muscular endurance is critical because if you lose your ability to do physical activity for a long period, it'll be harder to stay in shape, your joints and bones will get weaker, and you'll increase your risks of injuries. It'll also become harder to do daily tasks and you may become dangerously sedentary over time.
Thankfully, it's not hard to prevent this decline. In fact, with proper training, you can build strength and endurance in the key areas of your body and become stronger than you were in the past. One of the best ways to turn the tide is with exercises that start on the floor. That's because these types of movements are super safe, train critical movement patterns, and build endurance in important muscles—like your core, glutes, hips, and more—that keep you safe and strong.
Read on for nine of the best floor exercises to improve your muscular endurance. Start doing a few of these several times a week and watch your endurance grow.
Hip Bridge (Sets: 4, Reps: 12)
Lie on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Drive through your heels, and squeeze your glutes to push your hips up. Repeat. Do not use your lower back you pull yourself up.
Bear Crawls (Sets: 3, Reps: 20 yards)
Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips; keep your knees an inch above the ground. Crawl forward by taking a small step with your right arm and left leg at the same time, and alternate. Keep your hips low and your head up.
Crab Walk (Sets: 3, Reps: 15 yards)
Start in the "crab position:" hands and feet flat on the ground, chest facing up, knees bent, hips an inch from the ground, arms straight, hands directly underneath your shoulders, and fingers pointing behind you. Crawl forward by taking a tiny step with your right arm and left leg at the same time, and then another step with your left arm and right leg. Alternate while keeping your hips low and your chest up.
Underswitches (Sets: 3, Reps: 8 reps each way)
From the crab position, lift your right arm and left leg at the same time, and pull your left leg underneath you while rotating your body over the leg and reaching over to your left with your right hand. Land on all fours. Switch sides.
Pushup Hold w/ Alternating Reach (Sets: 3, Reps: 6 per side)
Get into a pushup position. Keep your body straight from head to toe, and don't let your lower back sag. Extend one arm straight ahead, hold for two seconds, and alternate arms. Don't let your body twist as you reach.
Super Planks, Sets: 3, Reps: 6 per side
Start in a plank position with your forearms on the ground. Then, crawl up into a pushup position and lower yourself into a plank.
Alternating Side Planks, (Sets: 3, Reps: 6 per side)
Lie on your side and place your forearm on the ground, perpendicular to your body. Keep your body straight, your glutes squeezed, and your shoulders pulled back. Don't let your hips sag. Twist your body toward the ground, switch arms, and do a side plank facing the other way.
Supine Hip Extensions, Sets: 4, Reps: 12
Lie on your back with your feet on the top of a stability ball. Squeeze your glutes, and extend your hips. Do not use your lower back to "pull yourself up."
Reverse Crunch (Sets: 3, Reps: 10)
Lie on the ground with your thighs perpendicular to the ground, your knees bent as far as you can, and your feet off the ground. Curl your knees up to your head, and slowly bring them back. Keep your knees fully bent throughout the exercise, and don't let your thighs go past perpendicular to the ground.
If working with your body weight is too hard, grab a sturdy object behind your head so you can hold it as you curl your knees.
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