STRENGTH TRAINING MADE EASY
Often enough, you’ve heard that us older adults need to engage ourselves in both aerobic (cardio) activities and strength (resistance) training workouts. For me the aerobic activities such as walking, jogging, biking, and swimming are more fun and I look forward to doing at least one of these every day.
Strength training, on the other hand, is more of a challenge and I have to make myself perform a dose of these exercises a couple of times a week. On that note, I began looking around for a simple at-home routine that most of us could regularly perform. I found it this week in a Silver Sneakers article by K. Aleisha Fetters—Everything You Need to Know About Strength Training. It contains “how to” instructions for 5 basic exercises that you can do at home using just your body weight.
What follows are excerpts from that piece. But please consult the entire article for easier/harder modifications and illustrations. You might also try YouTube to get detailed views of the movements. (For the benefits of strength workouts, please refer to my last year’s post Strength Training—Growing Strong & Looking Good)
The Best Strength Exercises for Older Adults
By strengthening the body’s largest muscle groups through functional movements, these exercises will translate to improved performance at everyday tasks. As you become stronger, you’ll be able to increase the difficulty.
You can perform these exercises one of two ways:
- Individually: Aim for three sets of 10 to 15 reps.
- As a circuit: Do 10 to 15 reps of the first exercise, then the second exercise, and so on. Once you’ve completed all five exercises, that’s one round. Do three rounds total.
Ready to get started? Here’s how to perform each movement. As always, safety is key. If you have a chronic condition, an injury or balance issues, talk to your doctor about how you can exercise safely.
Exercise #1: Squat
Stand tall with your feet shoulder- to hip-width apart. Hold your arms straight out in front of you at shoulder level, and brace your core. This is your starting position.
From here, push your hips back, and bend your knees to slowly lower your body into a squat, not letting your knees cave in as you do so. Pause, then push through your heels to slowly to return to starting position. That’s one rep. Aim for 10 to 15 reps.
Exercise #2: Incline Pushup
Stand facing a table, dresser, or wall. The taller the object or more upright you are, the easier the move. Place your hands on the surface or edge, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Move your feet back until you are at a comfortable angle, keeping your arms straight and perpendicular to your body.
Bend your elbows to slowly move your chest toward the object, pause, and then press back up to straighten your arms. Keep your body straight throughout the entire movement, making sure to engage your abs and squeeze your rear. That’s one rep. Aim for 10 to 15 reps.
Exercise #3: Seated Row
Sit with your legs extended, and place the center of a resistance band securely behind the arches of your feet. If you’re using a long exercise band, you can loop it around your feet twice so that, when you hold the band, it’s taut. Grab the ends of the band with both hands, arms extended and palms facing each other.
Sitting tall, pull your shoulder blades down and back, and bend at the elbows to slowly pull the band toward your core. Drive your elbows straight back; do not let them flare to the sides. Slowly reverse the movement to return to starting position. That’s one rep. Aim for 10 to 15 reps.
Exercise #4: Stationary Lunge
Stand tall with your arms down at your sides. Step back with your right foot, placing your toes on the ground and keeping your heel lifted.
From this staggered stance, bend your front (left) knee to slowly lower your body as far as comfortable. Allow your back knee to bend as well until it hovers a few inches above the floor, but keep your weight pressed into your front heel. Draw your lower belly in, and lift your chest.
Pause, then press through your front foot to raise your body back to standing. That’s one rep. Aim for 10 to 15 reps on each side.
Exercise #5: Dead Bug
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Raise your bent legs up so that your knees are stacked over your hips, keeping a 90-degree bend in your knees. Brace your core to press your low back into the floor; make sure to maintain this flat-back position throughout the entire exercise. With your palms facing each other, bring arms up to point toward the ceiling.
Straighten your left leg and bring it toward the floor (try not to let it touch). At the same time, bring your right arm back toward the floor (try not to let it touch). Pause, then bring your arm and leg back to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side with right leg and left arm extended. That’s one rep. Aim for 10 to 15 reps.
That’s it: Five easy exercises that you can plow through 2 or 3 times per week. Starting today!