.jpg)
You likely heard about the profound effect exercise has on our health. From increased strength and cardiovascular fitness to weight management and improved mental health, it is the closest thing we have to a magic, anti-aging pill.
This is welcome news for those over 60, as it gives us hope for a strong, functional, and fitter outlook on retirement.
Whether you are returning to exercise after decades away from sport or the gym, or you are simply exercising for the first time, we believe that now is a great time to get your health on track!
In this article, we discuss the ten best exercises for women over 60. We cover why exercise is important, workout plans, and more.
Why Exercise is Important for Women Over 60
For many, our 60s can be an exciting time in our life. After decades dedicated to working, raising a family, and investing for a future, it is a time when we begin to embrace our freedom.
Sadly, while the mind may be young, our 60s is often when our bodies begin to show the signs of aging. For women, our 40s and menopause is the beginning of decreased bone mineral density, increased appetite, weight gain, and increased risk of chronic illness.
As we enter our 6th decade, these factors continue to increase. Over the next decade, our bone mass will have decreased by 30–40% since our 40s, while we face a 5–10% loss of muscle mass per decade. These two factors lead to loss of strength, function, balance, and flexibility. This often leads to an increased risk of frailty, falls, fractures, and loss of independence.
Furthermore, in our 60s we can begin to experience plateaus in cognitive function and mental processing steadily declines. During this time, chronic illness rises, with approximately 80% of older adults in the U.S. having one chronic condition, and 50% having at least two.
These are all scary statistics that all have one thing in common, our lifestyle choices. While some individuals have predispositions to chronic illness, chronic illness in a large population can be attributed to unhealthy lifestyle elements including tobacco use, alcohol use, stress, poor diets, and lack of exercise.
Fortunately, this means we can prevent chronic illness with exercise and a healthy lifestyle. A 2009 study containing 23,000 found that a healthy lifestyle lowered the risk of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and stroke by 78%.
The common factor in all of this is exercise, providing us with the ability to increase muscle, and bone, function, and reduce chronic illness. This highlights it importance as we enter our 60s.
Key Benefits of Staying Active in Your 60s
It is clear that age and poor lifestyle can contribute to a decrease in function and poor health. Below we list the key benefits of staying active.
- Maintain Strength and Function
- Boosts Energy Levels
- Maintain Healthy Weight
- Maintain balance and Coordination
- Decreased Risk of Chronic Illness
- Improves Mood and Mental Health
- Maintain Social Interaction
Should Women Over 60 Lift Weights?
Women over 60 should lift weights. During this time we experience an increased risk of osteoporosis, sarcopenia, cognitive decline, and loss of function. Lifting weights can help increase strength, balance, moods, and function, enhancing health and well-being.
Resistance Training Benefits for Women Over 60
Strength training refers to a type of exercise that uses body weight and external resistance to increase muscle mass, strength, and endurance while enhancing function.
Below we list several strength training benefits for women over 60, and why you should consider incorporating them into your routine.
Increased Muscle Mass
One of the primary reasons people begin strength training is to increase muscle mass. Skeletal muscle mass makes up approximately 40% of our body weight and it role in the body goes beyond aesthetic appeal, as it is vital to movement, and posture, while stabilizing our joints.
Additionally, what many people don’t understand is our muscle's role in storing energy (carbohydrates, amino acids) and maintaining body temperature. Both are critical elements of human function.
Resistance training can be used to increase muscle mass and endurance. Training with body weight or external resistance such as free weights, machines, and bands can be used to increase muscle size. This can be achieved by performing 3–4 sets of 8–12 repetitions at 60–80% or our one repetition maximum (1RM), which is the maximum amount of weight we can lift for one repetition with the correct technique.
Meanwhile, performing higher repetitions can enhance muscular endurance, which can increase muscle energy (glycogen) stores, while decreasing reliance on energy. To improve endurance, we need to perform 3–4 sets of 15 or more repetitions at 60% or less or our one repetition maximum (1RM).
Therefore by increasing muscle mass, we can increase muscular endurance, posture, and joint stabilizability, while improving energy efficiency,
Enhances Strength
Resistance training can be used to enhance muscular strength. Similar to increasing muscle mass and endurance, we can adjust our repetition ranges to train specifically to increase maximum strength output.
While increasing strength may seem like overkill as we head toward later adulthood, it can greatly improve our function and ability to perform daily activities. Furthermore, strength has been associated with longevity, with greater grip strength being positively linked to strength, function, bone mineral density, nutritional status, cognition, depression, and sleep.
The simple act of increasing muscle mass, and lifting weight can improve our strength. However, it should be noted that increasing muscle size doesn’t necessarily increase rw strength. To do this we must adjust our repetition ranges to training for maximum strength output.
To enhance strength, we need to perform 3–4 sets of 1–5 repetitions at 80–100% or our one repetition maximum (1RM). If you are just beginning, we recommend increasing muscle mass, and endurance before training specifically for strength.
Improves Function
Resistance training can be used to improve our function. As mentioned, skeletal muscle's role in the body is to provide movement, joint stability, and posture. However, as we age, these elements can decline leading to poor posture, and lack of strength which can impair our ability to perform daily tasks.
Resistance training utilizes a range of functional multi-joint movements, to increase muscle mass, strength, and endurance, enabling us to strengthen specific functional movements and improve function.
Exercises such as squats, deadlifts, step-ups, and presses replicate many of our daily movements. By adding external resistance to these movements, we can strengthen each movement, and improve function, which can carry over into your daily activities.
Preserve Bone Density
Resistance training is a powerful tool for preserving bone mineral density. During menopause, our reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone decrease, leading to a decline in bone mineral density. As mentioned, this can impair function and result in frailty and fractures.
The main determinant of bone mineral density is mechanical strain which comes in the form of gravity and muscular contraction. Resistance training can place mechanical stress on your muscles and bones, stimulating the bone formation, regeneration, and degradation process.
By regularly engaging in resistance training, we can preserve bone mineral density, reducing fall and frailty risk, while maintaining independence.
Maintains Healthy Weight
Resistance training is excellent for maintaining a healthy weight. As mentioned, our 40s and menopause can bring on an increased appetite and weight gain, which is followed by a slowing of our metabolism post-menopause in our 60s. This can be due to a number of factors including a sedentary lifestyle, reduced physical activity, and a decrease in muscle mass.
Resistance training’s ability to increase muscle mass not only enhances our strength, appearance, and function, it can also increase our basal metabolic rate. This is the energy we expend while our body is at rest. Furthermore, resistance training sessions boost energy expenditure post-workout for up to 38 hours.
Reduces Risk of Chronic Illness
Resistance training’s ability to maintain a healthy weight can help reduce the risk of chronic illness. As we know, excess weight can lead to an increased risk of chronic illnesses including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, joint problems, and mental health problems.
The boost to metabolism and energy expenditure during and post-workout can help us maintain a healthy weight, reducing the occurrence of negative health outcomes.
10 Best Strength Exercises For Women Over 60
Strength training is an incredible way to improve function and our overall health. Below is a list of our 10 best strength exercises for increasing muscle mass, preserving bone mass, and improving strength.
Each exercise will contain a brief description, step-by-step technique guide, and benefits to ensure you are performing each movement for the best results.
1- Squat
A staple for your resistance training routines, the squat is an incredible exercise for increasing lower body strength and improving function. Targeting the glute, quadriceps, and hamstrings, it uses functional movement to engage our lower body.
This is an excellent exercise because it replicates daily movements such as standing up and sitting down. Moreover, it can be scaled using free weights, machines, and bands, allowing you to progressively overload the lower body to increase strength, muscle mass, and endurance.
How To Perform Squats
- Standing, ensure your feet are firmly planted on the floor shoulder-width apart.
- Gently engage your shoulder blades to create a proud chest.
- Breathe in and contract your abdominal muscles.
- Push back with the hips, lowering them until they are parallel to the floor.
- From here, exhale, and push yourself up to the upright position.
Benefits
- Increase muscle mass and strength
- Improves lower body function
Variations
- Fitball Wall Squats (Regression)
- Dumbbell Goblet Squat
- Dumbbell Squats
2- Reverse Lunges
Reverse lunges are a phenomenal compound exercise that can increase lower body strength. Targeting the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, it can improve function and balance.
Additionally, the reverse striding motion places less stress on the knee joint. This is great for individuals who experience knee pain.
How To Perform Reverse Lunges
- Standing upright with your feet hip-width apart.
- Breathe in and squeeze your abdominal muscles.
- Step back with your back foot and lower your knee directly down to the floor.
- Lower until your front and back knee are bent at a 90-degree angle.
- From here, push yourself back up, and return your left leg to the starting position.
- Switch to the other side, and continue to alternate for the duration of the set.
Benefits
- Build lower body muscle mass and strength
- Improves function
Variations
- Walking Lunges
- Dumbbell Reverse Lunges
- Barbell Lunges
3- Dumbbell Deadlift
Few exercises have a bigger upside than the deadlift. Targeting the back, glutes, and hamstrings, this functional movement is great for increasing strength and muscle mass.
What makes the deadlift so special is it teaches us correct lifting techniques. This combined with additional resistance will increase strength, and improve movement efficiency, and our lifting capacity, leading to better performance in daily life, and fewer injuries.
How To Perform Dumbbell Deadlift
- Standing upright, pick up a dumbbell in each hand, and position your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Gently engage your shoulders by pulling them back and down to create a proud chest.
- Begin by leading back with your hips and leaning forward with your torso.
- As you lean forward, guide the dumbbells down the front of your thighs.
- Once the dumbbells pass your knees, allow your knees to bend.
- Continue lowering until the dumbbells reach halfway down your shin.
- Then push up, straighten your legs, and lead forward with your hip to return to the starting position.
Benefits
- Teaches the Correct Lifting Technique
- Enhances Functional Strength
- Promotes Muscle and Bone Growth
Variations
- Barbell Deadlifts
- Resistance Band Deadlifts
- Stiff Leg Deadlifts
4- Plank
The plank is one of the great core exercises which can be added to any program. Designed to target the core, it requires full-body engagement.
During the plank, our core must isometrically contract. This is when the muscle contracts but does not change in length. The core acts as a functional center, stabilizing the spine and creating a bridge between the upper and lower limbs.
Isometric contractions have been shown to increase muscle hypertrophy and improve tendon health. Furthermore, the plank teaches us core and full-body engagement, enabling us to increase core rigidity which can be applied to other lifts, and daily life.
How To Perform The Plank
- Lie down on your mat with the balls of your feet, forearms, and elbows making contact with the floor.
- Breathe in and lift your hips off the floor to form a bridge.
- Hold for the desired duration.
Benefits
- Improves Core Strength and Stability
- Enhanced Full Body Function
5- Glute Bridge
Glute bridges are a simple and effective exercise for increasing lower body strength, and function. This exercise uses an isometric contraction to target the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings, allowing us to increase muscle mass and improve joint health.
More importantly, it targets the glutes which are vital for posture, lower strength, and function. They are powerful muscles that work alongside the back, knees, and ankles to lift objects, sit down, stand up, and perform daily functions. Therefore, when they are strengthened, we enhance function and strength.
Furthermore, glute training has been associated with decreased lower back pain. This makes them the bridge great for anyone experiencing lower back pain who wants to increase strength and function.
How To Perform The Glute Bridge
- Lie on your back on your mat with your arms by your sides.
- Place your feet flat on the floor and space them shoulder-width apart.
- Breathe in and squeeze your abdominal muscle, and exhale as you lift your hips off the floor.
- Lift until your torso and upper leg are in a straight line.
- Then lower back to the floor.
Benefits
- Can Reduce Lower Back Pain
- Increase Lower Body Strength and Function
- Isometric Contraction Improves Joint Health
Variations
- Hip Thrust
- Single-Leg Glute Bridge
- Single-Leg Hip Thrust
6- Seated Row
The seated row is an essential exercise that increases upper body strength and improves posture. Our back contains many layers of muscle and connective tissue and is capable of considerable strength. Furthermore, they have several attachment points, that help us maintain posture and contribute to spinal, shoulder, and neck movements.
The machine’s ability to strengthen our back muscles means our neck, spine, and shoulder health is not only enhanced, but preserved.
How To Perform The Seated Row
- Sit on the machine and place your chest firmly against the padding.
- Reach forward and grab the handle using a neutral grip (palms facing together).
- Sit upright, and gently engage your shoulder blades.
- With your elbows tucked to your sides, pull your shoulder blades back, and pull the handles toward your body.
- Once your thumbs meet your rib cage, hold for one second and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Then release the handles back to the starting position.
Benefits
- Increase Upper Body Strength and Muscle Mass
- Improves Posture and Spinal Stability
- Enhances Upper Body Function
Variations
- Resistance Band Row (Great For Home Workouts)
- Cable Row
- Dumbbell Bent Over Row
7- Machine Chest Press
The machine press is a safe exercise for increasing upper body muscle mass. Targeting the chest, shoulders, and tricep, this compound movement increases strength and function.
Additionally, the machine chest press uses a pin-based pulley system, which means that we can safely lift the resistance without the risk of injury. This makes it a great exercise for beginners who want to start strengthening upper body muscles.
How To Perform The Machine Chest Press
- Sit on the machine chest press and position your back firmly against the padding.
- Space your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grasp the handles using an overhand grip.
- Inhale, tense your abdominal muscles, exhale, and push the handles away until your arms are straight.
- From here, allow your elbows to bend, returning them to the starting position.
Benefits
- Safe and Great For Beginners
- Increase Upper Body Muscle Mass and Strength
8- Machine Overhead Press
The machine overhead press is designed to increase upper body muscle mass and strengthen overhead movement. Overhead movements are a major part of our daily function. From lifting overhead, reaching for the top shelf, or simply scratching our heads, it is a movement that many of us take for granted before movement is lost.
The machine overhead press like the seated chest press and row, operates with a pin-based weight system. This enables us to safely load up the weight, while greatly decreasing the chances of injury.
How To Perform The Machine Overhead Press
- Sit on the machine overhead press, place your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
- Push your back into the padding, and engage your shoulder blades to create an upright posture.
- Grasp the using an overhand grip.
- Take a deep breath in and contract your abdominal muscles.
- Then breathe out as you press the handles directly overhead.
- Once your arms are straight, gradually lower them back to the starting position.
Benefits
- Improve Overhead Strength and Function
- Increase Upper Body Muscle Mass and Bone Density
Variations
- Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Cable Overhead Press
- Resistance Band Overhead Press
9- Standing Calf Raises
The standing calve raise is a simple isolation exercise that can have a massive impact on your daily function. Our calves are a powerful muscle group, responsible for pointing the toes, stabilizing the ankle, and propelling us for activities such as walking, running, and jumping.
The calf raise requires us to point the toes and lift the heels against our body weight or external resistance. This simple movement can increase calf muscle mass and preserve bone density while enhancing function.
How To Perform Standing Calf Raises
- Standing facing the wall, and place your hands on the wall for balance.
- Space your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Push your toes into the floor and lift your heels as high as you go.
- Pause for one second and focus on contracting your calf muscles.
- Then allow your heel to return to the floor.
Benefits
- Increase Muscle Mass and Strength
- Improve Lower Body Function
Variations
- Dumbbell Stand Calf Raises
- Machine Standing Calf Raises
- Seated Calf Raises
10- Dumbbell Bicep Curl
The dumbbell bicep curl is a fantastic isolation exercise for increasing muscle mass and improving function. The biceps are a smaller muscle group that plays a major role in almost all our upper body moments. From biceps curls and rows in the gym to lifting and pulling objects in daily life, they are essential to our daily function.
The dumbbell bicep curl allows us to directly overload the biceps, allowing us to increase muscle mass, and improve strength which can be carried over into our daily life.
How To Perform Bicep Curl
- Standing, grab a dumbbell in each hand.
- Hold them in front of your thighs with your palms facing forward.
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart to create a strong base.
- Take a deep breath and tense your core muscles.
- Begin by bending your elbow and curling the dumbbell up toward your shoulder.
- Once your knuckles are pointing to the ceiling, gradually lower them to the beginning position.
Benefits
- Increase Bicep Muscle Mass and Strength
- Improve Arm Function
Variations
- Resistance Band Bicep Curls
- Cable Biceps Curls
- Machine Bicep Curls
Should Women Over 60 Do Cardio?
Women over 60 should do cardio. As we enter our 60s, there is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, weight gain, and chronic illness. Aerobic exercises such as walking, running, rowing, and cycling are incredible for improving cardiovascular and managing a healthy weight. By adding aerobic exercise to our training, we reduce chronic illness and improve our cardiovascular health.
Below is a list of benefits of cardiovascular exercise:
- Lowers Blood Pressure
- Reduce Bad Cholesterol Levels
- Improve Mood
- Reduce Stress
- Preserves Muscle and Bone Mass
How Often Should a 60-Year-Old Woman Exercise?
Women who are 60 years old should exercise approximately 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. This divided across three days per week is an achievable goal that can improve overall health and wellbeing.
What Are the Best Exercises for Women Over 60?
The best exercises for women are aerobic, balance, stability, and strength training. These can come in the form of resistance training, aerobic exercise, pilates, and yoga. The best form of exercise is the one you enjoy. This will help you stick to it long-term, which will lead to great results.
Below we detail each training style to provide you with information on which is the best for your.
Resistance Training
Resistance training is essential for long-term function and well-being. As mentioned, it preserves muscle and bone mass, while reducing the risk of chronic illness.
Utilizing weight, machines, cables, bands, and body weight, resistance training overloads our muscles to increase mass, endurance, and strength. This not only improves function but also our quality of life.
Cardiovascular Workouts
Cardiovascular workouts are excellent for enhancing cardiovascular and aerobic capacity. When we engage in aerobic exercise, our heart and lungs work together to provide our body with oxygen-rich blood.
These workouts are great for improving lung capacity, and cardiovascular function while burning calories to maintain a healthy weight.
Flexibility and Stretching
Stretching and flexibility training are great for mobilizing our joints and keeping muscles pliable. As we age, our joints can become restricted due to inactivity, which can impair function.
Flexibility and stretching routines are beneficial for strength, power, and muscle growth. Furthermore, stretching can improve our range of motion. This leads to smoother, more efficient movement, enhancing our quality of life.
We recommend performing a short stretch routine consisting of dynamic stretches before your session, and static stretches post-workout. This will help you gradually build toward greater flexibility and improve movement.
Balance and Stability
Balance and stability training is essential during our 60s. Decreased bone density and loss of skeletal muscle mass increase the risk of falls and fractures. While resistance training can improve function and bone density, it still doesn’t prevent us from falling and sustaining injury.
Performing single-leg exercises and training on unstable surfaces can improve our balance and stability.
3 Sample Workout Routines for Women 60-69 years Old
Now that we have identified the ten best strength exercises for women over 60, it's time to put them into a workout. Below we have listed three strength training workouts based on on experience levels.
The first two programs are single-day full-body workouts, while the last workout is a split routine where you divide your workout into push and pull muscles. This will allow you to add more exercises without spending more time in the gym.
Each workout plan contains recommended sets, repetition, rest time, and a weekly schedule to help create a routine.
Each program also has programmed days for 20 to 30-minute walks, and rest days. Walking is an excellent tool for recovery, allowing you to gently get your body moving between sessions. Furthermore, it can help burn additional calorie to help manage weight, and is a great way to de-stress and unwind.
Beginner Full-Body Workout Plan
Beginner Full-Body Workout Plan
Intermediate Full-Body Workout
Weekly Schedule
Intermediate Workout Plamn (table)
Intermediate Split Workout Routine
Weekly Schedule
Push Workout (table)
Pull Body Workout
Safety Tips for Exercising After 60
There is no doubt that exercise can help us get stronger, fitter, and healthier. However, measures must be put into place to ensure we reach our goals safely.
Below is a list of safety tips for exercising after 60:
- Perform a warm-up consisting of light aerobic exercise and dynamic stretches before your workout. This increases blood flow to working muscles, prepares our nervous system, and warms up muscles and joints.
- Allow for 24-72 hours of rest between working out the same muscle groups. Proper rest is required for recovery and muscle growth.
- If you are a beginner, focus on performing your workouts with light weight and concentrating on technique. This improves your ability to target your muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
- Take each exercise through the full range of motion. This has been shown to promote greater muscle mass and strength.
- Beginners should consider working with a trainer to learn the correct technique. This will help build a strong foundation, ensuring long-term training success.
Recapitulation
For a long time, strength training has been seen as an exclusive form of exercise for young people, bodybuilders, and athletes. However, over the past two to three decades, evidence has continued to highlight benefits for our appearance, function, and longevity.
From improved muscle mass, strength, and function, to maintaining weight and reducing the risk of chronic illness, it has proven to be one of the most effective means to enhancing our health.
If you are considering trying out any of the best exercises for women over 60, or our workout routine, be sure to follow our technique guide, expert tips, and programming recommendations. This will help you achieve excellent results
FAQs
What are the best low-impact exercises for women over 60?
Low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, and cycling are excellent for women over 60. These activities are gentle on the joints while providing cardiovascular benefits, helping maintain heart health and overall endurance.
How can strength training benefit women over 60?
Strength training helps improve muscle mass, bone density, and overall strength, which are essential for maintaining mobility and preventing osteoporosis. Simple exercises like bodyweight squats, resistance band workouts, and light dumbbell routines are effective.
Is yoga a good exercise for women over 60?
Yes, yoga is a great exercise for women over 60. It promotes flexibility, balance, and relaxation while strengthening muscles. Gentle styles like Hatha and Restorative yoga are especially suitable for older adults.
What exercises help improve balance for women over 60?
Balance exercises such as tai chi, single-leg stands, and heel-to-toe walking are highly beneficial. These exercises enhance stability and reduce the risk of falls, which is a common concern as we age.
How often should women over 60 exercise?
Women over 60 should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, coupled with strength training exercises two to three times a week. Flexibility and balance exercises can be practiced daily for optimal results.
