This exercise may not be suitable for you. Consult a health professional before beginning this exercise if you are unsure.
You may experience mild muscle soreness that lasts a few days after this exercise. Seek medical assistance if the soreness persists, if you feel any new or increasing pain, or if you feel dizzy, clammy, or short of breath.
Maintaining strength is important as you age because muscle mass and bone density naturally decline. You can build strength safely by using resistance through pushing or pulling movements.
Here’s how doing some simple strength exercises can improve your quality of life:
The best part is you can do this at home for free. No fancy gym equipment necessary!
There are safe low-impact exercises you can do with just your bodyweight. Gravity will provide the resistance for you to work against. This includes activities such as walking or chair exercises. You can also do some exercises using everyday items for extra resistance.
Here are some easy ways to get started with strength training, using only what you'd find in your home.
Repeat each exercise a set number of times, or for a set duration. You could start with 10 repetitions, or 30-second bursts. Increase your sets as you develop more strength and endurance.
Consider keeping a friend nearby when trying new exercises.
Be sure to brace your abdominal muscles for these exercises. This is also known as engaging your core. To do this, maintain a neutral (straight) spine and draw in your abdominal muscles. For deeper engagement, also activate your pelvic floor muscles.
You can also do chair quats with the chair behind you as a safety measure rather than as support. This is a variation of the sit-to-stand exercise. Begin standing, avoid using armrests, and lightly touch your bottom to the seat instead of sitting down fully.
You can also do push-ups using a kitchen bench instead of a wall. This lowers the incline of your push-up, which makes it more difficult. You can do this by placing your hands on the edge of the bench. Keeping your back and legs in a straight line, lower your chest towards the bench before pushing back up.
Use the stairs for this exercise, making sure you can reach the railing or a wall for support. If you don't have any stairs, maybe use a curb outside, garage step, or a sturdy footstool that's a safe height for stepping onto.
For the following exercises, get two water bottles and fill them up with water. Or use food cans or bags of rice. Find something that won't be too heavy for you to lift with one hand. Increase the weight by choosing bigger bottles or bags of rice as your strength develops.
Do this exercise near a wall or something to hold onto for stability.
This exercise builds calf strength and ankle stability. This makes it helpful for falls prevention. Learn more about ankle and foot strength exercises.
This exercise will strengthen your hip flexors and improve coordination. Learn more about exercises for hip health.
Get two shopping bags and put one of your makeshift weights into each one. Now your weights can be gripped more easily with your fingers.
Older adults should do strength training exercises at least twice a week. Aim to train all your major muscle groups by doing a variety of different strength exercises.
You can start by doing a single set of each exercise in this list. Use a resistance level that's heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.
When these exercises become too easy, it's time to increase difficulty or add new challenges to your exercise routine.
This twice-weekly strength training should be incorporated into the 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity the Health Department recommends you do on most days. Aim for a mix of strength, aerobic fitness, flexibility, and balance exercises. The more you exercise, the more benefits you will see – but every little bit helps!
You might also want to check out these other strength exercises that can be done sitting in a chair. All you'll need is a resistance band.
Try some chair yoga or Tai Chi to train your balance and mobility next. You can also do these 10 balance exercises in the comfort of your home.
Cardio is another important thing to train. For that, check out activities like water aerobics or dance classes.
Always ask a professional when planning to advance your fitness practice.
If you would like to find local exercise classes, social activities, and helpful tips, try the quick quiz or call free today on 1800 951 971.
Department of Health. (2021). Physical activity and exercise guidelines for older Australians (65 years and over). https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians/for-older-australians-65-years-and-over
Ferreira, L. H. B., Schoenfeld, B. J., Smolarek, A. C., McAnulty, S. R., Mascarenhas, L. P. G., & Souza Junior, T. P. (2021). Effect of 12 weeks of resistance training on motor coordination and dynamic balance of older women. Rejuvenation Research. https://doi.org/10.1089/rej.2020.2339
Harvard Health. (2023, August 1). Strength training builds more than muscles. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/strength-training-builds-more-than-muscles
Mayo Clinic. Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670
