4 Chair Exercises That Restore Glute Strength After 60

Glutes not firing during squats? These 4 chair moves fix that.

Heavy squats, deadlifts, and lunges aren’t the only way to build glute strength. While these classic lower-body exercises are undeniably effective, they’re not necessarily the best starting point for older adults. If your glutes aren’t activating properly, squats can quickly turn into a quad-dominant movement, limiting their effectiveness and sometimes placing unnecessary strain on your knees and lower back.

As you age, your glutes (which are the largest muscle group in your body) are crucial in nearly every lower-body movement. They’re responsible for extending your hips, stabilizing your pelvis, and supporting posture while walking, standing, and climbing stairs. And like anything else, if you don’t use your glute strength, you lose it. When these muscles weaken or become underused, other areas of your body are forced to compensate, increasing your injury risk.

But here’s the catch: many people struggle to actually engage their glutes, regardless of age. Without proper activation, even well-known exercises like squats can miss the muscles they’re meant to target. Instead, focusing on controlled, well-supported movements can be more effective for restoring glute strength after 60. That’s where chair-based exercises come into play. These types of movements provide stability, allowing you to focus on activating your glutes without worrying about balance, intensity, or joint strain.

To learn which chair exercises are best for rebuilding glute strength, we chatted with Abbie Watkins, CPT, certified personal trainer with OriGym, who tells us, “Many people of all ages struggle to properly engage their glutes, but starting with controlled and supported movements is an effective way to activate them. Consistently performing these exercises will help improve glute strength and function, especially when combined with regular movement like walking.”

The following chair-based exercises are designed to help activate, strengthen, and retrain the glutes. Read on for detailed step-by-step instructions. And when you’re finished, don’t miss these 5 Bed Exercises That Restore Full-Body Strength Faster Than Gym Machines After 55.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Seated Glute Squeezes

Seated glute squeezes isolate your glutes without involving other muscle groups and helps reinforce the mind-muscle connection. This is a fantastic exercise for those who struggle to feel their glutes working during other exercises.

How to do it:

1. Sit up tall in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
3. Place your hands on your thighs or at your sides.
4. Tighten your glute muscles as if you’re trying to lift slightly off the chair.
5. Hold the contraction for 3 to 5 seconds.
6. Focus on squeezing both glutes evenly.
7. Slowly relax the muscles.
8. Complete two to three sets of 12 to 15 reps. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between sets.

Sit-to-Stand Chair Squat

The sit-to-stand chair squats directly targets your glutes while reinforcing a movement pattern used dozens of times per day. Because the movement starts from a seated position, it results in proper glute activation from the bottom of the motion.

How to do it:

1. Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Keep your chest upright and your core engaged.
3. Cross your arms over your chest or extend them forward.
4. Lean slightly forward from your hips.
5. Press through your heels to stand up.
6. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.
7. Slowly lower yourself back down with control (avoid dropping into the chair).
8. Perform two to three sets of 8 to 12 reps, resting for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.

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Seated Marches

Seated marches help activate your hip flexors and glutes while boosting coordination. Although this movement may appear simple, keeping good posture and control throughout requires consistent engagement of your core and lower-body muscles, which can help improve glute activation and movement patterns used during walking.

How to do it:

1. Sit upright in a chair with your shoulders relaxed.
2. Place your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent at 90 degrees.
3. Engage your core to stabilize your torso.
4. Lift one knee upward toward your chest.
5. Keep your posture tall and avoid leaning backward.
6. Lower your foot back down with control.
7. Repeat with the opposite leg.
8. Complete two to three sets of 12 to 15 reps per leg, resting for 30 to 45 seconds between sets.

Seated Hip Extensions

Seated hip extensions engage your glutes by encouraging controlled movement through your hips. This benefit helps strengthen the muscles responsible for extending your legs behind the body—an essential movement pattern for walking and maintaining good posture.

How to do it:

1. Sit toward the front of a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
3. Shift slightly forward so you have room to move your leg.
4. Extend one leg backward as far as comfortable.
5. Focus on squeezing the glute of your moving leg.
6. Hold the position for one to two seconds at the end of the movement.
7. Return your leg to the starting position with control.
8. Perform two to three sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between sets.

Adam Meyer, RHN

Adam is a health writer, certified holistic nutritionist, and 100% plant-based athlete. Read more about Adam