Stay strong and independent after 50 with five daily moves that build everyday strength.
Building strength is king when it comes to healthy aging. Not only does a strong, toned physique look and feel great in every stage of life, but it’s also essential as you age in order to maintain your independence. You need strong muscles in order to climb stairs, carry groceries, and get in and out of chairs and your bed. To help make your workout time as productive as possible, we learned five daily exercises that build more real-world strength than gym workouts after 50.
“From a functional training perspective, ‘real-world strength‘ means having the strength, mobility, and coordination to perform everyday activities efficiently and with less risk of injury,” Eric North, aka The Happiness Warrior—a wellness speaker, coach, and advocate redefining what it means to age with purpose, strength, and emotional vitality, says. “It focuses on movements that mimic real life, like lifting, pulling, and pushing, rather than isolated exercises, to build a body that is strong and resilient for any task. Functional training helps to slow or even reduce the natural progression of aging and impacts our functional age.”
For those 50+ looking to build real-world strength, North recommends emphasizing compound, multi-joint movements that mimic daily activities like pushing, pulling, carrying, sitting down, and standing up.
“These exercises are highly efficient and promote better mobility, balance, and overall independence,” North says.
Squat or Chair Sit
“This movement is fundamental to daily life, mirroring the action of standing up from a chair or toilet, walking up stairs, and getting on/off the floor,” North tells us. “It builds strength in the legs, glutes, and core, improving balance and flexibility to help prevent falls. Note that the inability to stand up from the toilet is one of the primary factors that leads to assisted living.”
- To perform squats, stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your arms in front of you or place your hands on your hips. Use a chair for support, if necessary.
- Bend at the knees and hips as you lower into a squat.
- Use control to descend until your thighs assume a “sitting” position or lower.
- Press through your heels to return to standing.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
RELATED: If You Can Do These 3 Balance Tests at 60, Your Body Age Is 20 Years Younger
Pushups or Modified Pushups
“A primary upper-body pushing movement, pushups strengthen the chest, shoulders, and triceps, which are vital for tasks like pushing open heavy doors, pushing a shopping cart, or lifting ourselves up after a fall,” North points out.
- Begin on all fours on a mat, placing your hands just outside shoulder-width.
- Rest your knees on the ground so your body is straight from head to knees.
- Activate your core and keep your back flat.
- Bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the ground.
- Press back up.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets with 10 to 15 reps.
Dumbbell or Banded Rows
“This is a crucial pulling exercise that counteracts the forward-leaning posture common with age, stooping, and desk work,” North tells us. “It strengthens the back and bicep muscles used for everyday activities like opening doors, vacuuming, and pulling items toward you. It helps us to maintain better posture.”
- Anchor a resistance band to a sturdy pole at chest level.
- Stand tall, facing the anchor point.
- Grab onto the band with both hands.
- Bend your elbows and pull the band toward your body.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Extend your arms back to the start position.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Plank
“A strong core is essential for balance, stability, and supporting your back during virtually all movements. Planks help build core strength and improve posture without requiring potentially stressful bending movements,” North explains.
- Assume a forearm plank with your forearms on the floor—elbows under your shoulders—and your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Alternately, assume a high plank with your hands under your hips.
- Avoid letting your hips sag or rise.
- Hold the position for 30 seconds as you engage your legs, glutes, and core. Work your way up to a 2-minute plank hold.
Farmer’s Carry
“This simple yet highly functional exercise builds grip strength, core stability, and full-body endurance. It directly translates to real-world tasks like carrying groceries, luggage, pets, or grandchildren,” North tells us.
- Hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell—50% of your body weight—in each hand at your sides.
- Start walking forward, keeping your torso still.
In conclusion? “After age 50, our strength needs to shift from focusing solely on maximal strength to prioritizing functional capacity to counteract significant declines in muscle mass (sarcopenia), force production speed, balance, and mobility. The goal becomes maintaining the physical abilities necessary for independent daily living and fall prevention,” North says. And these exercises will help you do exactly that.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is a content strategist, editor, and writer based in Greenwich, Connecticut. She has 11+ years of experience creating content for travel, lifestyle, fitness, wellness, F&B, home, and celeb news publications. Read more about Alexa
