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Best strength exercises for over 60s: 7 moves and a sample week

Strength gets you out of the chair, up the stairs and steady on your feet. You can still build it. A chair, a counter and three short sessions a week.

By Susmit Jalan, coach at Online Fitness Worldwide.

After 60, the goal is simple. Keep doing what you do. Without help.

WHO's advice for adults 65 and over: varied activity that puts the weight on balance and strength, at moderate or greater intensity, on 3 or more days a week. To keep you capable, and to prevent falls.[1]

Lifting works at this age. A Cochrane review pooled 121 trials with 6,700 older people. Progressive strength training had a large effect on strength. Getting up from a chair improved moderately to a lot. Walking speed improved modestly.[3]

You need a sturdy chair, a kitchen counter, something to lift, and 30 to 40 minutes.

The 7 best strength exercises for over 60s

  1. Sit-to-stand from a chair

    Why
    The move you do most in a day. In the Cochrane review, getting up from a chair was one of the clearest gains.[3] Five chair rises against the clock is also part of a short test battery used in more than 5,000 adults aged 71 and over. With balance and walking speed, those scores were strongly linked to disability, and predicted death and nursing-home admission in the short term.[8] A link, not a cause. But it shows which strength matters.
    How
    Sturdy chair against a wall. Feet hip-width, a little behind the knees. Lean forward, nose over toes. Stand up tall. Sit down slowly, don't drop. Push on your thighs at first if you need to. Start with a higher seat, or with your hands on the chair arms.
    Dose
    3 sets of 8 to 12.[2] Easy? Hold a weight at your chest, or use a lower seat.

  2. Step-up on the bottom stair

    Why
    Stairs, kerbs, the step onto a bus. In a trial in 100 frail nursing-home residents, average age 87, ten weeks of high-intensity strength training raised strength by 113% and stair-climbing power by 28%. Walking speed rose by about 12%.[6] One small trial, in very old and frail people. It shows how much there is left to gain.
    How
    Bottom stair, one hand on the rail. Whole foot on the step. Push through that heel and stand tall. Step down slowly, same leg first. Then the other side.
    Dose
    2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 each leg. Only when that is calm with the rail, try a higher step or a weight in the free hand. Always in shoes, never barefoot on stairs.

  3. Hip hinge with dumbbells or a bag

    Why
    Picking things up from the floor. Laundry, a bag of rice, a grandchild. The hinge teaches the hips to do the work.
    How
    Weights in front of your thighs. Soft knees. Push the hips back, back long, and let the weights slide down to your knees. Stand up by squeezing your glutes. Learn it with a broomstick first. Progress from broomstick to bag to dumbbells. Stop at the knees if your hamstrings or back complain.
    Dose
    3 sets of 8 to 12.

  4. Push-up: wall, then counter, then a low step

    Why
    Pushing yourself up. Off the floor, out of the bath, out of bed.
    How
    Hands on the wall at shoulder height. Body in one straight line. Lower your chest towards the wall. Press away. When 12 feel easy, move the hands lower: kitchen counter, then a sturdy table, then a stair.
    Dose
    2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12.

  5. One-arm row

    Why
    Pulling. Opening heavy doors, lifting a bag into the car. It also balances all the pushing and sitting.
    How
    One hand on the counter or a sturdy chair. Weight in the other hand. Pull it to your hip, elbow close. Pause. Lower slowly. No weight? A bag with books in it works.
    Dose
    2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 each arm.

  6. Carry

    Why
    Carrying shopping, a bucket, a suitcase. Grip, shoulders, trunk and legs, all at once.
    How
    A weight in each hand, or one in one hand. Stand tall. Walk at a normal pace on a clear floor. Don't lean. Put them down with a hinge, not a rounded back. Start with one light bag. Sit down to set heavier weights down if you need to.
    Dose
    3 to 4 walks of 20 to 30 metres, or 30 to 40 seconds.

  7. Balance: feet together, heel-to-toe, one leg

    Why
    Strength on its own isn't the falls plan. A Cochrane review of 108 trials (23,407 people, average age 76) found balance and functional exercises cut the rate of falls by 24%. Programmes that added strength work to them probably cut it by 34%. For strength training alone, the effect on falls was uncertain.[4] So we do both.
    How
    Stand at the kitchen counter, fingertips on it. Feet side by side. Then one heel against the other foot's toes. Then one leg. When a position is steady, lift the fingertips off. Keep the fingertips ready over the counter at all times. One leg comes last. Had a fall recently, or get dizzy? Talk to your doctor before balance work.
    Dose
    Every session, and on walking days too: 2 to 3 holds of up to 30 seconds per position, each side.

How often, how heavy, and is it too late?

Two or three strength sessions a week. In most of the 121 trials, people trained two to three times a week, at a high intensity.[3] Add balance, so the total is 3 or more days.[1]

Start with a load you can lift 8 to 12 times. When you beat the target by 1 or 2 reps, add 2 to 10%.[2] The last two reps should feel like work. Never so heavy that you hold your breath and strain.

It is not too late. A review of 22 trials in adults aged 75 and over found strength training increased muscle strength and muscle size. Strength improved even in those aged 80 and over.[5]

Stand up fast, sit down slow. A review of 20 trials in 566 healthy older adults (average age 70) compared lifting as fast as possible with lifting at a steady pace. Lifting fast was linked to a modest extra gain in physical function. The evidence was low certainty.[7] Go fast on the way up only once the form is solid. Uncontrolled high blood pressure, or a recent fall? Check with your doctor before lifting fast.

Muscle soreness for a day or two is common at the start. New or worsening joint pain is different: make the range or the load smaller, and get advice if it lasts. In the Cochrane review, serious problems were rare, and none were reported as directly caused by the training.[3]

A sample week for over 60s

Sample only. Not a prescription. Adjust it to your body, your health and your history.

  • Monday: Strength A. Warm-up, sit-to-stand, push-up, one-arm row, carry. Balance at the end.
  • Tuesday: a walk. Balance holds at the kitchen counter.
  • Wednesday: Strength B. Warm-up, step-up, hip hinge, one-arm row, carry. Balance at the end.
  • Thursday: a walk, or rest.
  • Friday: Strength A again.
  • Saturday: a longer walk.
  • Sunday: rest.
  • A rest day between strength days. Every strength day ends with balance.
  • Pain check: mild discomfort that settles soon is fine. Pain that rises during a set means make it easier: less range or less load. Sharp pain, swelling, pain spreading down a limb, numbness, a joint giving way or locking means stop and get it checked. I'm a coach, not a physio or doctor.

Want it coached live?

Return fits this well. 45 minutes, 12 alternate-day sessions a month. A rest day between sessions, every time. We rebuild movement first, then add load.

Prefer the full hour? Iron Hour is 60 minutes, 1:1. Set-up at minute 0: chair, counter and camera placed so your whole body is in frame. Warm-up from minute 4. The primary lift at 14. Accessories at 28: rows, carries, balance. Cool-down at 50.

Lean Reset is 20 sessions a month, 1:1. Open Floor is a small group.

Coached live on Google Meet, Zoom or FaceTime. In Hindi or English. On IST. Not sure yet? Start with a 30-minute consultation. It is a conversation, not training. Booking holds a time. The fee is agreed directly.

See the programsAsk on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)

Before you start

General information, not medical advice. ACSM's screening model says: if you are inactive, have no symptoms and no known heart, metabolic or kidney disease, you can start light to moderate exercise without medical clearance and build up gradually. If you have one of those conditions, or symptoms such as chest pain, unusual breathlessness or dizziness, get medical clearance first.[9] Set up for safety: a sturdy chair against a wall, a counter or rail within reach, a clear floor, good light, and shoes with grip. Breathe out as you lift. Don't hold your breath. If you have osteoporosis or a joint replacement, or have fallen recently, ask your doctor or physiotherapist which moves and loads suit you. Stop if you feel chest pain, dizziness or sharp pain. This is general exercise, not a clinical falls-prevention programme. It sits alongside your doctor's care. See a doctor first if you have had a recent fall, dizziness, unexplained weight loss or pain at night.

ASCA Level 1 (strength and conditioning) and ACE (anatomy and biomechanics). These are credentials held by the coach. Neither body endorses this business or this article.

Sources

  1. [1] World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Geneva: WHO; 2020. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128 (opens in a new tab)
  2. [2] American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687–708. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670 (opens in a new tab)
  3. [3] Liu CJ, Latham NK. Progressive resistance strength training for improving physical function in older adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009;(3):CD002759. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD002759.pub2 (opens in a new tab)
  4. [4] Sherrington C, Fairhall NJ, Wallbank GK, et al. Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;1(1):CD012424. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012424.pub2 (opens in a new tab)
  5. [5] Grgic J, Garofolini A, Orazem J, Sabol F, Schoenfeld BJ, Pedisic Z. Effects of resistance training on muscle size and strength in very elderly adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Sports Med. 2020;50(11):1983–1999. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01331-7 (opens in a new tab)
  6. [6] Fiatarone MA, O'Neill EF, Ryan ND, et al. Exercise training and nutritional supplementation for physical frailty in very elderly people. N Engl J Med. 1994;330(25):1769–1775. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199406233302501 (opens in a new tab)
  7. [7] Balachandran AT, Steele J, Angielczyk D, et al. Comparison of power training vs traditional strength training on physical function in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(5):e2211623. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.11623 (opens in a new tab)
  8. [8] Guralnik JM, Simonsick EM, Ferrucci L, et al. A short physical performance battery assessing lower extremity function: association with self-reported disability and prediction of mortality and nursing home admission. J Gerontol. 1994;49(2):M85–M94. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronj/49.2.M85 (opens in a new tab)
  9. [9] Riebe D, Franklin BA, Thompson PD, et al. Updating ACSM's recommendations for exercise preparticipation health screening. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2015;47(11):2473–2479. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000664 (opens in a new tab)