Cultivating a robust and stable core is crucial for navigating everyday activities with ease and confidence.
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Core strength is vital at every age, but once you hit 60, it’s even more important to give your workouts some extra attention. A strong, stable core enhances your balance, supports your posture, and allows you to enjoy activities like strolling in the park, playing pickleball, or spending active time with your grandchildren.
Understanding the significance of core strength means it’s time to focus on it within your fitness regimen. We’ve uncovered four fantastic at-home exercises specifically designed to strengthen your core more effectively than traditional crunches, especially after age 60.
“Traditional crunches mostly engage the superficial abdominal muscles, neglecting the deeper muscles critical for spinal stability during daily activities. They’re prone to cause discomfort for individuals with neck or back issues due to the repetitive spinal flexion,” explains Denise Chakoian, a Certified Fitness Trainer and owner of Core Cycle and Fitness LaGree in Rhode Island. With over 16 years of experience training clients of all ages and fitness levels, Chakoian emphasizes, “Daily life calls for core strength that resists movement to maintain body stability, rather than constant forward curling. This is why stability, posture, and controlled movements offer greater functional benefits for older adults.”
An effective core workout isn’t measured by the number of crunches you can perform; instead, it should enhance your functional movement throughout the day.
Bird Dog
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVRtIHp9h-M[/embed]
“The bird-dog strengthens the deep core muscles while improving balance, posture, and coordination with very little strain on the spine,” Chakoian says.
- Start on all fours.
- Extend your left arm and right leg.
- Hold for a moment before returning to the start position.
- Switch sides and continue to alternate.
Glute Bridge
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp33YgPZgns[/embed]
- Lie flat on your back with bent knees and feet hip-width apart on the floor, arms at your sides with palms pressing into the ground.
- Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Squeeze your buttocks, holding at the top for 2 seconds.
- Lower your hips back to the start position.
Dead Bug
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbWmbhElf3Q[/embed]
“The dead bug trains the deep abdominal muscles to stabilize the spine while your arms and legs move, which mirrors everyday activities,” Chakoian tells us.
- Lie face-up on the mattress with your arms extended toward the sky and knees lifted and bent to 90 degrees.
- Press your lower back into the mattress as you gradually lower your left arm and extend your right leg.
- Return to the center.
- Then, lower your right arm and left leg.
- Continue to alternate.
Forearm Plank
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao5nY7lb088[/embed]
- Assume a forearm plank: Place your forearms on the ground with your elbows under your shoulders and arms parallel to your body, shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your body straight from head to heels.
- Activate your core, legs, and glutes.