Once you reach 30, your body starts to experience sarcopenia, the natural loss of lean muscle. Adults can lose anywhere from 3% to 8% of muscle mass every decade, which can majorly impact strength and quality of life if you don’t take action. We’re here to help with five daily exercises that rebuild lost muscle quicker than the gym—especially after 50. Because, let’s be honest: Carving out gym time isn’t always feasible.
One of the main reasons for muscle loss with age is changes in hormone levels. “As these hormone levels decline, muscle regeneration slows down, and the body becomes less responsive to physical activity,” says Victoria Repa, certified Pilates instructor (The Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute, APPI), health coach (Institute for Integrative Nutrition, IIN), and CEO and founder of BetterMe. “As a result, you may notice that you need more time to recover after workouts, your strength stops increasing, and fat appears in place of muscle. Add to this a sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, or lack of strength training, and the loss becomes even more pronounced.”
That said, performing regular strength training and following a well-balanced nutrition plan can help you regain most of your lost muscle mass.
“Stronger muscles help improve balance, burn more calories at rest, maintain joint health, and prevent age-related issues. That’s why muscle recovery after 50 is one of the best investments you can make in your long-term health,” Repa tells us.
5 Daily Exercises That Rebuild Lost Muscle After 50
Discipline, consistency, and a wise selection of exercises are exactly what you need to build muscle.
“These five exercises can be done at home with dumbbells, for extra weight, and a mat,” Repa tells us. “They target the major muscle groups and can be adapted to any fitness level.”
Bent-Over Row
“This move targets the back, shoulders, arms and strengthens the posture muscles, which weaken with age,” Repa notes. “This is important in the fight against ‘tech neck’ and forward-leaning posture.”
- Stand tall, feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand in front of you.
- Hinge at the hips until your torso is parallel to the ground.
- Maintain a flat back and soft knees.
- Allow the weights to lower with your arms completely extended.
- Row the dumbbells up toward your torso.
- Lower to the start position with control.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Overhead Dumbbell Press
This exercise fires up the arms, upper back, and shoulders. “[It] strengthens [the] arm muscles, improves posture, and develops shoulder stability, which is especially important for women who suffer from bone density loss in the upper spine,” says Repa.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, palms facing inward.
- Press the weights overhead, extending your arms.
- Use control to slowly lower the weights to shoulder height.
- Complete 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.
“If you have shoulder mobility issues, perform the exercise with each arm alternately or use lighter dumbbells,” Repa notes.
Bicep Curls
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a supinated grip.
- Bend your elbows to curl the weights up toward your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps at the top.
- Use control to lower.
- Perform 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Romanian Deadlift
This move activates the glutes, lower back, and hamstrings. “This exercise develops the strength of the posterior chain muscles, which improves walking and climbing stairs, and prevents injuries,” says Repa.
- Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Bend your knees slightly and hold the weights in front of your thighs.
- Press your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down your leg. Maintain a straight back as you do so.
- Squeeze your glutes to return to the start position.
- Perform 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.
RELATED: 5 Home Exercises That Build More Muscle Than Gym Workouts After 50
Calf Raises
Calf raises target your calves, ankles, and foot stability. “This move improves balance, ankle stability, and walking strength, which is especially important for preventing falls,” says Repa.
- Stand tall, feet hip-width apart.
- Rise onto your toes slowly.
- Lower back down.
- Complete 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Looking for more easy ways to lose fat? Here’s How Long Your Walking Workout Should Be To Shrink Belly Fat.
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
