How to Build Strength After 60

Everyone benefits from physical activity. However, for seniors, strength training becomes even more important. That’s because we lose muscle mass as we age. Starting in your 30s or 40s, your body becomes less efficient at turning protein into muscle. At the same time, your muscles also don’t respond to strength training in the same way. By the time you get into your 60s, you might be losing about 1% of your muscles mass each year, on average.

This matters for many reasons. The first is that a strong body makes it easier for you to get around safely without assistance. People who lose significant muscle mass have problems with balance, deal with an increased risk of falls, and have a more difficult times doing daily tasks. If you want to spend your retirement traveling the world, playing with your grandchildren, or golfing every week, maintaining muscle mass is important.

There’s also the fact that lean muscle burns more calories. So having muscle mass helps you maintain a healthy body weight while also reducing your blood pressure, controlling blood sugar levels, and lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Just because it’s more difficult to maintain muscle mass as a senior, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. In fact, you can substantially slow down the decline of strength and muscle mass by living a healthy and active lifestyle. No, you probably won’t feel like you’re 20 again, but it’s definitely possible to build strength even if you’re over 60 years old and you won’t need a whole gym (or even a home gym) to get it done. 

Strength Training as a Retiree

There are many different activities you can do to maintain and build strength in your retirement years. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean spending every waking moment focused on fitness. In fact, you don’t even need a gym or any specialized equipment. 

When most people hear the phrase “strength training,” they think of lifting weights. That’s definitely one way to do it, but it’s not the only way. There are a lot of activities you can do at home and many of the best ways use your own body weight. 

These routines are perfect for just about anyone because, not only do you not need equipment, but you can also do these activities just about anywhere, no matter your set up. 

Push-Ups

This is a classic exercise for a reason. Push-ups help build core stability, they improve your upper body strength, and they also boost your cardiovascular health. One of the best parts about this exercise is that it’s highly adaptable and customizable. 

In addition to traditional push-ups, you can do them from your knees to make it a bit less challenging. You may also want to try pushing off an elevated surface such as a bench or even a countertop. Wall push-ups are an option too!

Good form is more important than the type or even the number of push-ups. Keep your body in a straight line, avoid sagging your back, and lower your body until it is near the floor, wall, or whatever surface you are pushing off. 

Seated Knee Lifts

This is a low-impact exercise that helps strengthen your thigh muscles. Sit in a chair with your arms on the arm rests. Tighten the muscles in one leg and slowly lift it, so your thigh is a few inches off the seat. Hold for three seconds and then lower your leg. Now, do the same thing on the other leg. 

Plank

This exercise might seem easy at first, but it helps strengthen your abdominal muscles and strengthen your core. Start on your stomach then lift your body up so you’re resting on your elbows/forearms and toes. Hold this position for between 10 and 30 seconds, keeping your back straight and your core muscles tense

Chair Squats

Start by sitting in a chair with your feet hip-width apart. Slide forward in the chair so you’re just barely sitting on the edge. Raise your arms to shoulder height in front of you and stand up. Slowly lower yourself down until you briefly tough the chair, then return to standing. This exercise works your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and hips. It also helps improve your balance.

Building Muscle

If you’re skeptical that you can build strength without weights, that’s understandable. However, know that it’s definitely possible. In fact, not only is it possible, but it can be preferable. Since it doesn’t take a lot of time or money, you’ll be more likely to do it. 

One of the best ways to build strength over time is to progressively push yourself to do more. 

When you’re first starting out, do what you can. Listen to your body and take it slow. This is especially true if you haven’t exercised in a while or if strength training is new to you. Start with a few exercises and complete them one after another as a circuit. If you need to take breaks between exercises or between circuits, that’s fine.

Do a few reps, rest, then do a few more. This is a great way to get your body used to exercising regularly.

The next step in building strength is to slowly increase the difficulty and intensity. That might mean increasing the number of reps you do on each exercise, shortening your rest periods, or going slower with the actual exercises themselves. Slowing things down can increase the time your muscles spend under tension, and that helps your muscles get stronger. 

Tips to Make Strength Training Easier

One of the first things you’ll want to do is talk to your doctor. While most body weight strength training exercises are designed to be low impact, there are still possible concerns, especially for people who have existing health conditions.

Your doctor may also be able to give you some tips or exercise ideas that are right for your body type and health situation. 

As for the exercises themselves, create small and attainable goals for yourself to motivate you to keep going. For instance, when first starting out, try to do 5 push-ups and 5 chair squats every day. Get a physical calendar and check off every day you accomplish this goal. The act of checking a day off your calendar can be very satisfying, especially when you get a streak going. If you’ve worked out every day for ten days, for example, that’s motivation to keep it up on the 11th and 12th days too! 

Share your goals with a friend or family member. Telling someone what you want to achieve helps you in a couple different ways. The first is that it makes the goal “real.” Just the act of saying something out loud to someone else has a way of holding you accountable. Now it’s not just a thought in your head, it’s an actual plan. Plus, when you tell someone else, they can help motivate you.

You might even want to take things a step further and workout together! Meeting up with a friend to go for a walk is a great way to stay in shape even if it’s not specifically strength training. Playing sports together can also help you build muscle and enjoy each other’s company at the same time. Having meaningful social connections is truly important, especially in retirement. Some people even video chat with their friends while they’re working out! 

The most important thing is to stick with it. Building strength can be tough at first and that’s totally understandable. Sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes you don’t feel like exercising, and sometimes you’re just too busy or tired. Even if you miss some workouts or can’t exercise every day, know that some is better than nothing. 

Over time, it will get easier and you’ll start to really enjoy your workouts. You’ll also start seeing the benefits. When you build more strength in your body, moving around becomes easier. You’ll probably have an easier time walking for longer, traveling up and down stairs, and completing errands. You’ll have more energy and stamina as well. Seeing your hard work pay off can be incredibly motivating.