Over 50? This 20-Minute Body-Weight Workout Can Support Healthy Aging

How to Get Started With This Workout for People Over 50

This quick body-weight workout can help you reap the benefits of physical activity for a healthy aging process. The best part? You don’t need any exercise equipment. Just find a space in your home or gym and start building muscle and endurance.

Perform each move below for 10 reps (except for the arm pulses, which you’ll hold for 30 seconds). Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between each exercise. Complete four total sets. When you complete a set, rest for 1 minute before beginning the next one.

Squat

• Sets: 4
• Reps: 10
• Body part: Legs
  

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes facing forward or slightly outward.
2. Keeping your feet flat on the floor and your back straight, brace your core and push your hips back and down until your thighs are parallel to the ground (or as low as you can comfortably go). Ensure your back remains in a neutral position.
3. Pause here for a brief moment, then drive through your heels to stand back up. You’ll feel tension in your butt and legs.

   [3]

Incline Push-Up

• Sets: 4
• Reps: 10
• Body parts: Arms and chest

1. Stand an arm’s distance from a sturdy wall with your feet under your hips.
2. Place your palms on the wall, with your hands shoulder-width apart at shoulder height. This is the starting position.
3. Bend your elbows and bring your chest toward the wall with your core engaged. Keep your elbows pointing away from your body at a 45-degree angle, rather than out to the side.
4. Press back to the starting position.

   [6]

Glute Bridge Walk-Out

• Sets: 4
• Reps: 10
• Body part: Butt

1. Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, feet flat on the floor, and knees bent.
2. On an exhale, squeeze your glutes, press into your heels, and drive your hips up toward the ceiling.
3. Raise your hips until your knees, hips, and chest form a straight line. This is a standard glute bridge. However, you will take a couple of extra steps beyond the usual exercise.
4. Keeping your hips lifted, walk your right heel out, then walk your left heel out to meet it.
5. Bring your left foot back flat to the starting position, then bring your right foot back to the starting position. That’s one rep.

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The farther you walk your feet out, the more challenging the move will be. For less of a challenge, drop your hips back to the floor between every rep.

Bird Dog

• Sets: 4
• Reps: 10
• Body part: Abs

1. Start on all fours, with your hands directly in line with your shoulder and knees in line with your hips.
2. Look down at the floor and brace your core, tucking your tailbone just slightly. This should create a straight line from the tip of your head to your tailbone. Your back should neither arch nor sag.
3. On an exhale, reach your left arm straight out in front of you until your upper arm is in line with your ear. At the same time, extend your right leg straight behind you, fully extending your knee. Which leg you start with doesn’t matter; just be sure to raise opposing limbs.
4. Pause here for a moment.
5. Return to the starting position.
6. Switch sides, reaching your right arm forward and raising your left leg back.
7. Pause and then return to the starting position. This concludes one rep.

   [8]

The focus during the bird dog should be on both the supporting arm and the supporting leg, as you try to keep the hips square and prevent your body from rotating. Be sure to engage your core muscles before initiating the lift of your arm and leg.

To advance this move, you can come off your knees and perform the move from your feet. If it feels too challenging or you’re struggling to balance, simply raise one limb at a time.

Lateral Arm Pulse

1. Sets: 4
2. Time: 30 seconds
3. Body parts: Arms and shoulders

1. Start standing with your feet hip-width apart and your arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height.
2. Pulse your arms up and down quickly for 30 seconds.

To make this move more challenging, you can add hand weights.