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Full-body exercises for people over 50 are essential to keep their muscles moving. Various studies also suggest that doing a few full-body exercises three to four times a week can potentially help boost metabolism, control blood sugar levels, prevent cognitive issues and reduce the risk of death.
However, safety and proper attention needs to be a priority when performing full-body workouts, as injuries become difficult to heal as you age. People over 50 should aim for unilateral workouts with slow tempos and at least three training sessions per week.
Best full-body exercises for people over 50
1) Forearm plank
Instructions:
- Place your forearms on an exercise mat. Keep your shoulders over your elbows and your hands straight on the mat. You may also make a fist from your hand if this feels more comfortable.
- Tighten your shoulders, abs, glutes and back, and extend your legs into a plank position.
- Hold the position for 20 seconds.
- While doing a plank, do not allow your abdominal muscle to fall or raise your hips.
- Engage your core and tuck your pelvis in.
- Work your way up and try to hold the position for a full minute.
2) Single leg toe touch
Instructions:
- Stand straight and put your entire body weight on your left foot. Keep your right foot raised off the floor behind you.
- Keep your arms at your sides or raise them to your shoulder height.
- Brace your core and keep your back upright. Bend your left knee and try to touch your left toes with your right hand.
- Simultaneously, extend your right leg behind you to help maintain proper balance.
- Press your left foot on the floor to stand back up and bring your right foot to touch your left foot.
- This completes one rep.
- Continue for at least 5 reps and then switch legs.
3) Box squats
Instructions:
- Set a sturdy box with an appropriate height just behind you.
- Stand straight with your feet wider than hip-width apart.
- Engage your core and glutes, and lower your hips down and back. Make sure to keep your weight on your heels.
- Once your hips touch the box, push your body up to stand.
- Complete the desired reps.
4) Reverse lunges
Instructions:
- Stand with your feet at a hip distance and both your hands at your hips.
- Take a big step back with your left foot and lower your body towards the ground in a way that it forms a 90-degree angle with your back and front legs.
- Make sure your right thigh is parallel to the ground with your knee directly over your ankle.
- Press your right foot gently on the floor and stand back up to the starting position.
5) Standing shoulder presses
Instructions:
- Stand with your feet at a shoulder distance position with a light weighted dumbbell in each hand.
- Slowly raise the dumbbells with your arms to your shoulder height forming 90-degree angles.
- Engage your core, and press both the dumbbells together overhead by your ears.
- Do not arch your back or use your legs to keep the dumbbells overhead.
- Lower the dumbbells by your shoulders.
6) Glute bridges
Instructions:
- Lie straight on your back. Your hands should be at your sides and your feet flat on the ground. To make it challenging, keep your feet to your hips as close as you can.
- Tighten your glutes and raise your hips towards the ceiling by lifting your butt off the ground.
- Do not lift your hips too high as this can strain your lower back.
- Hold the top position and then lower your butt back to the ground.
- You can also loop a mini resistance band just above your knees.
7) Seated rows
Instructions:
- Sit straight on a cable row machine.
- Put your feet straight on the footbed of the machine with your knees slightly bent.
- Hold the handles with a gentle grip with both hands and with your palms facing each other.
- Slowly pull the handles in towards your torso and make sure to keep your elbows close to your sides. As you pull the handle, squeeze your back muscles.
- Pause for a few seconds and then return the cable to its starting position.
Takeaway
The aforementioned full-body exercises are easy and very effective, provided you perform them correctly. However, whether you are new to workouts, or you were a frequent exerciser in your younger days, knowing when to stop is very important to prevent overstraining your muscles. That is particularly important if you are over 50 and have just started working out.
Though there’s absolutely no doubt that full-body exercises for people over 50 are one of the primary keys to preventing cardiovascular problems, it is equally important to go slow and work your way up as you gain strength and confidence. It is best to consult a doctor before attempting full-body workouts to ensure safety and effectiveness.
