A fitness trainer shares the 5 exercises she does every day to ‘look and feel younger’

We can’t turn back the clock as we age, but we can adapt our workouts to improve our quality of life and our ability to perform everyday activities.

The secret? strength training

Strength training keeps our healthy and agile muscles and joints, which becomes increasingly important as we age because we lose muscle mass and develop stiffer joints as we age.

As a fitness trainer, I do five key strength training exercises every day to look and feel younger. If you don’t want to do them daily, I recommend doing these moves at least twice a week:

Notice if your shoulders are rounded forward when you’re on your computer, on your phone, reading a book, or driving. If they are, you are not alone; this is a problem for many people and can lead to neck pain.

Strengthening your upper back with a move like the Quadruped Reverse Fly can help. reduce neck pain or prevent it from occurring. It can also help you achieve better posture over time.

How to do a Quadruped Reverse Fly:

1. Get into a quadruped position (on your hands and knees). Your hands should be directly below your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips.
2. Pull your belly button in toward your spine to ensure you have a neutral spine.
3. Keep your right arm straight as you raise it out to the side until it’s parallel to the ground.
4. Slowly lower your arm to the ground. Repeat on the other side.
5. For more intensity, do this move with one to five pound dumbbells.
6. Do three sets of eight to 10 repetitions per side.

It has been shown that working these muscles reduce chronic pain, particularly in the lower back.

How to make a superman:

1. Lie on your stomach with your arms up in a “Y” shape. To modify, create a “W” with your arms by bending at the elbows.
2. At the same time, lift your arms and thighs a few inches off the ground.
3. Hold for three seconds, lower and repeat.
4. Do three sets of 10 repetitions.

A strong core can help improve stability, reduce pain, and improve overall function. I love how much this exercise isolates your core while improving cognitive function with the coordination required to pull off this move.

How to make a dead bug:

1. Lie on your back with your arms raised toward the ceiling.
2. Keep your hips, knees, and ankles bent at a 90-degree angle. Press your lower back into the floor.
3. Place your right hand on your left knee. At the same time, raise your left arm above your head and straighten your right leg.
4. Go back to the starting position.
5. Switch sides by placing your left hand on your right knee and, at the same time, raising your right arm above your head and straightening your left leg.
6. Do three sets of eight to 10 repetitions per side.

I love the plank because it really is a full body workout. Strengthen your arms and shoulders as you hold yourself up, your quads and glutes as you keep your legs straight, and your abs as you keep your back in a neutral position.

How to make a table:

1. With your body facing the ground, keep it upright on your toes (or knees to modify) and forearms.
2. Make sure your elbows are under your shoulders and act like you’re pushing your body away from the floor to activate your shoulders.
3. Keep your body in a straight line from head to toes (or knees).
4. Do three sets of 30-second planks. Slowly increase the cooldown as it gets stronger.

stephanie mellinger She is a certified personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist, and nutritionist. She is also the founder of fitness company Omnia Fit and a writer for HealthDay. Follow her on Instagram @omnia_fit_.

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