Bed Core Workout: 8-Minute Routine After 60

This speedy Pilates routine will work your core before bed.

If you’re not a morning person or have limited time during the week, you may prefer performing your workout routine in the evening. Many individuals favor this time of the day for fitness, since it’s an excellent way to burn off a hard day’s stress and nervous energy. It’s just important to give yourself enough of a cool-down afterwards before hitting the sheets. The bottom line is finding what works with you—a plan and timetable that’s sustainable with your lifestyle and habits.

If you’re wondering what routine to focus on, consider a solid core workout. After all, your core is the support system of your body. It’s important to strengthen in order to boost overall performance, balance, and posture.

Planks are excellent to build your core, but we spoke with an expert and learned a stellar eight-minute bed routine that will restore your core strength faster than planks after 60.

The 8-Minute Bed Routine

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“After the age of 60, adults can lose up to 3% of muscle mass (aka sarcopenia) with that reaching a peak of 30% muscle loss by 80 years old,” explains Dr. Femi Betiku, PT, DPT, and certified instructor for Club Pilates. “In pounds, this could be four to six pounds of muscle lost each decade if they don’t strength train. Core muscles such as the erector spinae can be lost especially with no strength training.”

Planks are a solid total-body workout, but this speedy, well-rounded routine will help build up your core even quicker. Dr. Betiku says you can absolutely perform it from bed, but hopping on a mat also works well—if not better.

“It’s also important to focus on the inhaling and exhaling while performing these exercises so that at the end of this eight-minute workout they feel more relaxed than amped,” Dr. Betiku adds.

Pilates Hundreds

“Keep it simple and break it up into four sets of 25 pulses to really focus on the quality of deep inhales/exhales,” Dr. Betiku recommends.

1. Begin seated on a yoga mat or your mattress.
2. Roll back, bringing your chin to your chest and hovering your shoulder blades above the floor.
3. Extend your legs to a 45-degree diagonal. Bring them together and point your toes.
4. Reach your arms forward.
5. Begin pumping your arms.
6. Perform 4 sets of 25 pulses.

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Pilates Criss Cross

For this exercise, Dr. Betiku suggests completing two sets of 10 reps on each side as you emphasize your breath work.

1. Begin by lying flat on your back with your hands behind your head and knees bent.
2. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the mattress.
3. Lengthen your right leg out at a 45-degree angle while twisting to bring your right elbow to meet the opposite knee.
4. Then, extend your left leg, twisting your torso to bring your left elbow to meet your right knee.
5. Continue to alternate with control.
6. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps per side.

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Pilates Roll-Down

“If this exercise is too difficult for a senior, they can start sitting upright and partially roll down/up. Do for two sets of six reps really focusing on breathing,” Dr. Betiku instructs.

1. Begin seated with your knees bent, feet flat on the mattress, and arms extended in front of you. (If necessary, for extra support, feel free to hold onto the back of your legs.)
2. Complete a posterior pelvic tilt as you slowly “roll” your body down toward the mattress, bringing your belly button in toward your spine.
3. Reach your arms forward as you roll down through your spine.
4. Use control as you roll back up to the start position.
5. Perform 2 sets of 6 reps.

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Side-Lying Hip Circles

“Focus on making big and accurate circles while keeping the core engaged. Do two sets of eight [reps on] both sides in order to focus on form, breathing, and size of circle,” Dr. Betiku says.

1. Begin by lying on your side with your bottom leg bent and top leg extended.
2. Stack your hips.
3. Activate your core as you slightly lift your top leg.
4. Use control as you draw slow, tiny circles with the top leg.
5. Lower.
6. Switch sides.
7. Complete 2 sets of 8 reps on each side.

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Bird-Dog

“Do one set of 15 reps on each side, really pushing quality inhales/exhales to finish well relaxed before bed,” Dr. Betiku says.

1. Start on all fours.
2. Extend your left arm and right leg, keeping your core braced.
3. Hold for a moment before returning to the start position.
4. Switch sides, continuing to alternate.
5. Perform 1 set of 15 reps on each side.

Alexa Mellardo

Alexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home. Read more about Alexa