Strength training is essential for seniors — it can help counter the loss of muscle mass that naturally occurs as we age, build functional strength, and improve balance and stability, thereby preventing falls.
Yet if you don’t have access to a gym or tons of equipment, you might be looking for the best place to start. Enter Joe Wicks, a personal trainer who has years of experience programming workouts for seniors. Below, we’ve found his 10-minute workout, which uses 10 different bodyweight exercises to help you build muscle from home.
The workout helps build strength and balance, as well as increase the range of motion in the joints. You won’t need any additional equipment, but as you get stronger, you might want to add a set of the best adjustable dumbbells to increase the intensity. If you’re a complete beginner or you’re returning to exercise following an injury, it’s always a good idea to check in with a qualified professional to ensure you’re moving with good form.
What is the workout?
You’ll do each of the following exercises for 30 seconds, followed by a 30 second rest. If you need to take a longer break, you can, of course, press pause and take a longer time to reset between the exercises.
You can follow along with Joe on the video, but here’s a breakdown of all the exercises you’ll cover.
1. Marching on the spot
- For this exercise, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Engage your core, thinking about sucking your belly button into your spine.
- March one leg, then the other, bending the knee and lifting your foot off the floor. As you march, pump your arms back and forth.
- To make the exercise harder, lift your knees higher and increase the pace of your march.
2. Standing toe touches
- This exercise works your core and rotates your spine.
- Start by standing with your feet wider than hip-width apart and your arms out to the side.
- Take your left hand and touch the toes on your right foot, then reverse the movement to stand back up.
- Then, take your right hand and touch the toes on your left foot.
- Keep alternating sides.
- If you can’t touch your toes, just touch your knee instead.
3. Step back and reach
- This exercise works your upper and lower body and raises your heart rate.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step your right foot back behind you. At the same time, reach your right arm forward.
- Step your foot back in, and bring your arm back to your side, and repeat on the left side.
- Keep alternating sides for the full 30 seconds.
- The faster you step, the harder you’ll work. You can also increase the intensity by stepping your leg back further.
4. Shoulder rotation
- This exercise works to increase the range of motion and open the shoulder joint. Move slowly and with control.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your core engaged. Straighten your arms and hold them out in front of your body.
- Keeping your arms straight, raise them above your head, then rotate your arms around to your sides, so your palms are facing out away from your body.
- Then take your arms back, and lift them round and up above your head, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
5. Squats
- For this exercise, start with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
- Push your glutes back as if you’re sitting back into a chair and bend your knees into a squat.
- If you can’t get a 90-degree bend in your knee, just lower as far as you can and pulse.
- To make the exercise harder, lower further, or hold a weight in your hands
6. Side-step punch
- To do this exercise, start with your feet together and your abs engaged. Step your foot out to the right, and at the same time, punch your right arm forward.
- Step your foot back in and repeat on the left side.
- Keep alternating sides.
- To make the exercise harder, increase your pace or the distance you step out.
7. Shoulder press
- This workout targets the muscles in your upper body.
- Lift your arms to your side, keeping a bend in your elbow.
- Press both arms above your head, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you do so.
8. Sumo squat
- To do a sumo squat, you want to step your legs out further than you would for a regular squat, and step your toes out to the side. Extend your arms out to the side of your body.
- Engage your core, and send your glutes back into a squat. As you do so, bring your arms back in so they are straight in front of your torso.
- Press down into your feet as you stand back up, taking your arms out to the side, squeezing your shoulder blades as you do so.
9. Punches
- This exercise is designed to raise your heart rate.
- Stand with your feet staggered one in front of the other, engage your core, and punch one arm forward, then the other.
- Keep punching for the full 30-seconds.
10. Squat and reach
- For the final exercise, start with your feet wider than hip-width apart, and your arms bent at the elbow.
- Squat down, and reach one arm above your head diagonally.
- Reverse the movement and return to your starting position, then repeat on the other side.
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