Turning 50 marks the beginning of a new phase of life, along with a refreshed approach to fitness. For women in this age group, Shanna Missett Nelson, CEO and lead choreographer of Jazzercise, suggests focusing on three essential movement pillars: strength and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), impact training, and functional movement. These types of workouts are vital for sustaining a robust, healthy, and self-sufficient lifestyle.

“What I discovered—and what influenced my personal journey—is that women over 50 must train differently to retain strength, vitality, and flexibility. Last year, at the age of 56 and being postmenopausal, I noticed shifts in my body composition that couldn’t be resolved merely by increasing activity or improving diet,” Shanna shares. “This led me to investigate what is truly necessary to feel strong, energetic, and empowered—not just today, but for the long haul.”

In your 50s, fitness is not about doing more; it’s about focusing on what suits your body best. Shanna emphasizes that the objective is to push your body enough to support bone, muscle, and metabolism health, without overexerting yourself to exhaustion. She advises engaging in general cardio exercises four to five times a week and incorporating strength training at least two to three times weekly.

Below, Shanna shares six exercises women over 50 should never skip in a workout.

6 Exercises Women Over 50 Should Always Do

Planks

1. ​​Lie flat on your stomach.
2. Place your hands below your shoulders or rise onto your forearms.
3. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your feet.
4. Hold the position, keeping your core engaged.

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Pushups

1. Begin in a high plank.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor.
3. Maintain a long, straight body as you lower.
4. Press back up, straightening your arms.

Impact Movements

Impact movements involve actions like jumping, skipping, hopping, or knee lifts with a hop.

1. To perform knee lifts with a hop, start by standing tall with your feet hip-distance apart.
2. Bend your knees slightly and engage your core.
3. Lift your right knee up toward your chest as you hop off of your left foot.
4. Keep your landing soft and immediately switch sides, hopping off of your right foot while lifting your left knee.

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Plie’s or Squats (With and Without Weights)

1. For squats, begin standing tall with your feet planted shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your side.
3. Bend at the knees and hips as you lower into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
4. Press back up.

Upper and Lower-Body Strength Training (With Heavy Weights)

A great example of upper and lower-body strength training is the dumbbell thruster, which involves lowering into a squat and then driving up to press the weights overhead.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

1. Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart and holding heavy dumbbells at shoulder level.
2. Bend your knees to lower into a deep squat, keeping your chest tall.
3. Explode upward from the squat position and smoothly press the dumbbells overhead.
4. Return to the start position.

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Mobility Movements

A solid mobility exercise brings you from a standing position to the floor, such as the plank walk-out.

1. Begin standing tall with your feet placed hip-width apart.
2. Hinge at the hips and bend forward, reaching your hands toward the ground.
3. Walk your hands forward along the ground until you achieve a high plank position.
4. Hold the plank for a moment while engaging your core.
5. Reverse the motion by walking your hands back toward your feet and rising up.

Alexa Mellardo