A Healthy Aging Guide to Strength Training and Stretching at Home

Goals for your at-home strength training program 

Committing to and maintaining an at-home strength training program can be the first step to preventing — or delaying the onset of — many age-related ailments.

The best part is, it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.

Your at-home strength training program should:

• Include 3 sessions weekly. Incorporate a 20- to 30-minute strength training session 3 days per week. You can work out at home with minimal equipment and still see significant results.
• Work your whole body. Incorporate upper body, lower body, and core exercises to get the most out of each workout.
• Be consistent. The more consistently you strength train, the better your results will be.

6 strength exercises to try at home 

Combine these 6 strength exercises for an effective and comprehensive full-body workout.

Unless otherwise noted, do 3 sets of 10–12 reps of each of these exercises.

One-leg balance

With balance declining as you age, proactively focusing on improving it is key. Start with this one-legged drill to suss out any imbalances you may have:

1. Position yourself next to a chair or a wall if needed for balance.
2. Stand with your feet together, arms down at your sides.
3. Bend your knee and lift your right foot up off the ground behind you, holding where your leg forms a 90-degree angle.
4. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the left leg.
5. Complete 2 holds on each side.

Squat

The squat is a powerhouse exercise, not only for building muscle but for preparing you for daily life. If you ever sit in a chair, you’ll benefit from squatting. Here’s how to do it:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly out, with your arms down at your sides.
2. Push your hips back then bend your knees, lowering down until your thighs are parallel to the ground or as close as possible, as if sitting in a chair. Keep your chest lifted and proud throughout the movement.
3. Push up evenly through your whole foot, back to the starting position.

Wall pushup

Pushups are one of the most effective exercises to gain upper body strength, and you need no equipment to execute them. Start on a wall, and then try a pushup kneeling if you want more of a challenge. Here’s how to do it:

1. Get into a plank position with your hands on a wall at shoulder height and your feet about 3–4 feet from the wall.
2. Bend your elbows to come closer to the wall, maintaining a straight line from your head to your ankles. Keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle from your body.
3. Push back away to the starting position.

Resistance band row

A strong back is key for good posture, among other things. Use a resistance band here to strengthen those muscles:

1. Grab a resistance band, with a handle in each hand, and step on the band with both feet.
2. Cross the handles and hinge at the waist to a 45-degree angle.
3. Maintaining a straight back, send your elbows up and back, rowing the handles up toward your chest. Squeeze your upper back muscles at the top.
4. Pause, then slowly release back to start.

Bird dog

A boon for both balance and stability, bird dog will challenge your full body.

1. Assume a position on all fours on the ground, placing your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
2. Keeping your neck neutral, simultaneously extend your right arm and left leg. Make sure your hips stay square to the ground. Pause at the top.
3. Return to start and repeat with your left arm and right leg.

Glute bridge

An effective exercise for the posterior chain — or the back of your body — glute bridges will build strength in no time. Add a dumbbell to your hips if you need added resistance.

1. Start by laying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Your arms should be down at your sides.
2. Brace your core and push up through your feet, lifting your butt up off the ground until your hips are fully extended. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
3. Pause, then slowly return to start.

5 stretches to include in your at-home fitness routine

Do these 5 stretches to hit all of the major body parts and help improve your flexibility and mobility.

If not indicated, hold each stretch for about 30 seconds total. As you focus on breathing — deep inhale, deep exhale — try to go deeper into the stretch.

Hamstring stretch

Particularly if you sit a lot, stretching the hamstrings is important to maintain good movement in the hips. Here’s how to do it:

1. Position yourself with a step or another flat, raised surface in front of you. There should be about one foot between you and the step.
2. Put one heel on the step and lean forward at the hips to a 45-degree angle.
3. Feel the stretch in your hamstring, leaning forward to go deeper.

Seated hip stretch

Hip functionality is key to many movements in our daily lives, like walking, so keeping these muscles and joints mobile is important. Try this seated stretch:

1. Sit in a chair and scoot down to the edge. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your back should be straight.
2. Bring your right ankle to rest on your left knee, bending your leg to do so.
3. Lean forward slightly to feel the stretch in your hip.

Chest opener

Combat the forward-lean posture with this chest-opening stretch:

1. Sit in a chair and scoot down to the edge. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your back should be straight.
2. Interlace your fingers behind your back and open your chest up to the sky, dropping your shoulders.

Side-lying thoracic rotation

Another good stretch if you find your shoulders rounding forward, this rotation will target and release your upper body:

1. Lay on the ground on your left side, arms straight out in front of you with palms touching.
2. Lift your right arm straight up and over, opening your chest and allowing your right arm to drop to the other side of your body. Your head should follow.
3. After 5–10 seconds, rotate back to start and repeat for 10 reps.

Side-to-side reach

Stretch your back and core with this move:

1. Stand straight with your arms down at your sides and feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Bring your right arm up and over your head, bending your torso to the left as you go.
3. Hold here for 5–10 seconds, then return to center and switch arms.

The takeaway

Consistently strength training and stretching, even for short periods 3 times per week, can help tremendously in delaying or preventing many age-related ailments. Start slow and watch your strength, balance, and mobility improve.