7 Best Strength Training Exercises Exercises for Women over 50

It's time to celebrate your fifties with strength training exercises. Transitioning into our golden fifties, especially as women, is something that calls for celebration. However, it isn’t as sparkly as everyone makes it seem.

Fifty is the age at which most women hit menopause, which is actually more of a downer than something exciting. The hormonal changes come with an array of uncomfortable problems, including hot flashes, shifts in weight and energy levels, and osteoporosis.

Of course, all adults are prone to osteoporosis after a certain age, but it is more common in women due to the cessation of certain hormones being regulated. It's important to build an effective strength training program for women.

When it comes to strength training for women over 50, It’s never a bad idea for them to exercise when this age comes around the corner. They should especially try to engage in strength training exercises.

Strength training exercises during these years provide lots of benefits, including:

Maintaining balance
Retaining flexibility
Maintaining posture
Maintaining energy levels
Relieving stress
Regulating blood pressure and sugar levels
Improving bone mineral density
Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease
Reducing aches, soreness, and pains

Light-to-moderate strength training exercise is always recommended for women, regardless of age. However, as we grow older and our bodies age with us, the need of strength training for women becomes more apparent.

Putting in as little as 150 minutes of strength training exercise per week will work wonders for your health. The best options are low-intensity steady state (LISS) cardio, with a few days of light strength training exercises to retain muscle mass and bone mineral density.

7 strength exercises best suited for women over 50

Let’s take a look at some of the best strength training exercises for older women:

1) Pilates

Pilates is a great strength training exercise. image via Pexels/Los Muertos Crew

Pilates is a fantastic exercise option for women, especially if they are new to exercise. It is low-intensity and easy to perform. This is a good way to build strength and improve overall stability.

Finding a pilates class near you shouldn’t be much of a challenge as it is an activity that has been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years. Additionally, there are several videos on the internet that you can follow from home.

2) Glute bridges

Glute bridge is a simple strength training exercise that women can do to strengthen their legs and core. It also helps maintain stability during everyday movements.

Here's how to do glute bridges correctly:

Lie on the floor and bend your legs at your knees, pointing them to the ceiling. Keep your feet hip-distance apart and your hands flat down on either side of you.
Push your hips up, keeping your shoulders and feet firm on the ground. Allow your hips to align themselves with your knees and shoulders. Use your hands to stabilize yourself and push your knees outward.
Lower your hips back down and inhale slowly.
Repeat this movement for 10 to 12 reps.

3) Squats

Squats are great for people of all ages. This strength training exercise will help retain strength for everyday movements like standing up, walking, or bending down to reach for something. Squats are also a great full body women's workout for strength and endurance.

Here's how to do a squat correctly:

Stand straight with your feet hip-distance apart and your shoulders tall. Ensure your back is straight.
Make sure your feet are firm on the ground, and push your hips back, lowering them by bending at your knees and hips. Keeping your back straight, lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
Push yourself up by straightening your legs to return to the starting position.
Repeat this movement for 10 to 12 reps.

4) Shoulder presses

This strength training exercise is effective in building strength and stability in the shoulders, allowing for improved lifting and pushing in everyday life. A pair of lightweight dumbbells are required to perform the shoulder press.

Here's how to do shoulder presses correctly:

Stand straight and hold the dumbbells in either hand. Bring them up to the sides of your head, with your elbows bent at 90-degrees in line with the shoulders. This is the starting position.
Push the dumbbells up above your head. Straighten your arms completely and squeeze your shoulders.
Lower them back down to the starting position slowly.
Repeat this movement for 10 to 12 reps.

5) Wall pushup

Wall pushup is an effective but less strenuous way for women to maintain their upper body strength without having to exert too much to the point of injury.

Here's how to do a wall pushup correctly:

Stand in front of a wall and place your palms flat on it, keeping your hands in line with your shoulders. Ensure your arms are at a 90-degree angle from your body.
Bend your arms at your elbows and bring your chest towards the wall slowly, bringing it as close to the wall as your arms will allow you to.
Push yourself back up to a straight standing position, straightening your arms completely.
Repeat this movement for 10 to 12 reps.

6) Seated Rows

This is an easy strength training exercise to strengthen the upper back and maintain posture for women. It also helps retain strength for pulling movements. It can be performed with a resistance band looped around your feet.

Here's how to do seated cable rows correctly:

Sit on the ground and straighten your legs out in front of you. Loop the band around your feet and hole either end in your hands. Keep your shoulders tall and back straight.
Extend your arms out fully, and then pull the ends of the band backward, toward your diaphragm, with both hands on either side of your chest.
Slowly release the band and let your arms straighten out fully again.
Repeat this movement for 10 to 12 reps.

7) Deadbugs

This is a core exercise that strengthens the midsection while stabilizing your core. This should keep the back pains away and help with posture.

Here's how to do dead bugs correctly:

Start by lying on the floor on your back. Keep your lower back flat on the ground and raise your legs up slowly, bending them at the knee, keeping your lower legs parallel to the ground.
Raise your arms straight out in front of you and point your hands to the ceiling with your palms facing each other.
Drop your right arm above your head towards the floor, keeping it straight as it goes down. Simultaneously, straighten out your left leg and drop it to the floor. Ensure your limbs do not touch the floor but hover an inch or two above it.
Raise your limbs back up to bring them to the starting position.
Repeat this movement with your left arm and right leg. Keep alternating sides until you have performed six to eight reps on each side.

It may not be possible to do each strength training exercise the same way you did in your youth but don’t let your golden fifties scare you or hold you back.

Women are more than capable of maintaining their health and quality of life as they grow older. While it may be challenging, these strength training exercises should prove helpful and beneficial.

Of course, your food intake and a balanced diet are still just as important, so don’t neglect good, wholesome meals, and be sure to hydrate well while performing these strength training exercises.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh