I test the best exercises for healthy aging after 50 — these are the 5 moves that always stand out

Older woman performing a dumbbell overhead press outdoors — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

The best exercises for strength and muscle after 40, 50, or 60 are progressive, repeatable, scalable and unfussy.

If you didn't already know, fitness markers, including muscle loss, surprisingly begin to decline as early as 35 years old. Each decade we lose muscle mass, and this decline can accelerate after 60.

I encourage strength training throughout life to maintain as much strength, mobility, balance and muscle as possible; I encourage it even more strongly after 50, especially for women, for whom hormones are another factor to consider.

For many of my clients, I recommend the same exercises at any age, but how we approach them might differ from person to person. Over the years, there have been five that still always stand out, and here's why and how to do them.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

5 strength exercises that build strength and muscle after 50

Everyone has a mix of fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers in the body. Your fast-twitch fibers are responsible for speed and power and sustain exercise for less time (think sprinting); slow-twitch typically sustain longer, slower efforts of exercise (think a long run or steady-state routine).

Later in life, fast-twitch fibers can be lost at a higher rate. This means building and maintaining strength and balance becomes even more crucial, as well as focusing on moves that power your everyday life, tapping into functional fitness. Without strength training, areas like power, speed, balance and reaction time can decline, especially after 50.

Give these exercises a try. You can individually add them to an existing routine or create a five-move full-body workout. I recommend 8-12 reps and 3-4 sets per move, taking roughly 30 to 60 seconds of rest between each exercise.

Aim to choose weights that challenge you; the last few reps of every set should feel like a real push to complete. However, don't let your weight choice distract from your form. Keep your core engaged throughout, and focus on the quality of your reps. I recommend a set of the best adjustable dumbbells or hex weights for this routine.

What are the benefits?

a woman flexing her biceps and smiling — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Each of these exercises focuses on a different benefit, so let's look at each one.

Overhead press: The overhead press is a test of pushing power, strengthening the upper body, primarily the upper chest, triceps, and shoulders; your core and upper back are also heavily recruited.

Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and keep a soft bend in your knees. Hold a weight in each hand at your shoulders, with your elbows high. You can opt for a wide or narrow position.

Keep your pelvis tucked under and core engaged (no arching your lower back), then press the weights overhead with power; try not to let your legs assist you for this variation, otherwise you'd be doing a push press.

With control, lower the weights to the starting position and repeat for reps.

Overhead side lunges: Side lunges strengthen your glutes, hips, quads and hamstrings; the lateral motion is effective for targeting your outer glutes and inner thighs (the adductors), and the overhead position helps engage the thoracic spine, shoulders and arms.

Start in a wide-leg stance with toes pointed slightly outward. Hold a weight in each hand and press them overhead; think about hugging your biceps close to your ears and stacking the weights above your shoulders.

Bend into your left knee and lower into a side lunge, sitting your hips back and down while lifting your chest. Your back should stay straight and the weights should stay pressed overhead. Pause at the bottom, then drive up through your left leg to stand and move straight to the right side. A

Aim to sit as low into the lunge as possible.

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Stiletto squat with pause: The stiletto squat works your glutes and legs, heavily recruits your core and tests balance and ankle mobility. This one is quad-dominant, but try to stay up on your tiptoes to really work the calf muscles harder.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a weight in each hand. You could also hold one weight to your chest, extend your weights out in front of you, or even press the weights overhead.

From here, lift onto the ball of your feet, sit your hips back and down while keeping your chest lifted, then lower into a squat. Stay tall and focus on a slow descent to maximize control.

At the bottom of the squat, pause for 2-3 seconds, then drive up to stand. Lower your heels between reps.

Glute bridge dumbbell press: The glute bridge works the back of the body, but as the name suggests, primarily targets the glutes. Your glutes are incredibly important for protecting your lower back, so engaging and strengthening them matters as you age.

The dumbbell press works your triceps, pecs and the fronts of your shoulders. This combo move coordinates the upper and lower body.

Lie on your back with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Press through your feet and peel your back away from the floor, pushing both hips toward the ceiling. Hold the glute bridge, squeezing your glutes at the top.

Press both weights overhead in line with your shoulders. Bend your elbows and lower the weights toward your shoulders, driving your elbows wide. Pause at the bottom, then press upward for one rep. Remember to squeeze your core and glutes throughout the reps, then lower to the ground slowly.

Lucy Miller performing glute bridge and dumbbell press at home — (Image credit: Future)

Bentover row with pause: Time to hit the back and biceps. The bentover row requires core engagement as you hold the bentover position; during the row, your back and biceps work to pull the weight inward, improving overall pulling strength and power.

Stand with a weight in each hand and your feet hip-width apart. Bring a soft bend to your knees, hinge at your hips and lower your chest to almost parallel to the floor. Keep your core engaged and spine straight.

Extend both arms and turn your palms to face each other in front of your shins. Bend your elbows and drive the weights back toward your hips, keeping your elbows close to your ribcage. Pause and squeeze your shoulder blades together, then, with control, lower the weights again.

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Sam Hopes is a level 3 qualified trainer, a level 2 Reiki practitioner and fitness editor at Tom's Guide. She is also currently undertaking her Yoga For Athletes training course.

Sam has written for various fitness brands and websites over the years and has experience across brands at Future, such as Live Science, Fit&Well, Coach, and T3.

Having coached at fitness studios like F45 and Virgin Active and taken on both 1:1 and group, Sam now primarily teaches outdoor bootcamps, bodyweight, and kettlebells.

She also coaches mobility and flexibility classes several times a week.

Sam has completed two mixed doubles Hyrox competitions in London and the Netherlands and finished her first doubles attempt in 1:11.