If you’re over 60one of your top fitness priorities may be to get your body look and feel younger again. As we age, our bodies go through physical and hormonal changes. We lose muscle mass, 3% to 5% every 10 years after turning 30, in fact, according to Harvard Health Journal. our testosterone and growth hormone levels fall, and also our power and resistance. Since muscle can truly be considered the fountain of youth, if you want to, you need to incorporate strength training exercises in your exercise routine to develop and preserve it.
Aerobic exercise is excellent and necessary, but building muscle and losing fat will help your body look younger. The best strength training exercises for building muscle are compound movements, meaning they use more than one muscle group at a time. They are the best bang for your buck and will help you get the best results.
If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a sample full-body workout to incorporate into your routine. Do 3 sets of the following exercises to build muscle, burn fat, and make your body look younger again. And then take a look The 6 Best Exercises for Strong, Toned Arms in 2022, Says a Trainer.
Begin this exercise by standing with a weight (a kettlebell, dumbbell, or even a trap bar works well for this!) in front of you on the floor with your feet shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back and squat low enough to grab the weight, all while making sure your shoulders are aligned with the weight and your torso is straight when you get into position.
Keeping your core tight and shoulders down, lift the weight by pushing through your heels and hips to stand tall, squeezing your glutes at the top. Reverse the movement to lower the weight before doing another repetition. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Related: The 5 best lifestyle habits that will keep you feeling young, says science
Lie down on an incline bench and grab a pair of dumbbells. Hold them straight above you with your arms fully extended. Pull your shoulder blades back and down on the bench as you lower the weights toward your chest. Get a good chest extension, then push the weights back to the starting position, squeezing your pecs and triceps at the top. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Grasp the lateral pull-up bar with your palms facing out, just outside your shoulders. Lean back slightly and pull the bar toward your sternum with your elbows, squeezing your lats at the bottom of the movement. Resist on the way up, keeping the tension on your lats. Get a good stretch at the top by letting your shoulder blades rise before doing another rep. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Related: 6 body-slimming exercises everyone over 60 should do, says a trainer
Place your feet firmly on the pad of a seated row machine and grip the handle with both hands. Take out the accessory and position yourself so that your back is straight and your legs are almost fully extended. Keeping your chest up, torso tight, and knees soft, row the attachment toward your body, squeezing your shoulder blades at the end. Then straighten your arms fully until your shoulder blades extend before doing another rep. Do 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
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Get into position with one foot forward and one foot back. Keeping your chest up and core engaged, lower yourself under control until your back knee touches the ground, getting a good stretch in your lower body. Push through the heel of your front leg to come back up, flexing your quad and glute to finish. Do all reps on one side before switching legs. If bodyweight alone is too easy, you can also do this move with a pair of dumbbells. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg.
And then take a look The best workout for stronger muscles after 60.
