Four Chair Exercises to Enhance Glute Strength More Efficiently Than Gym Machines for Individuals Over 60

A simple, sturdy chair is all you need to master these outstanding exercises for strengthening your glutes.

If you’re looking to enhance mobility, support your lower back, improve posture, and boost your overall strength for daily activities, focusing on your glutes is key. Well-developed glutes are crucial for standing, walking, and providing the power needed for lifting, jumping, and sprinting.

To help you on your journey, we consulted Marwa Ahmed, a NASM-Certified Personal Trainer and Running Coach, and CEO of The BodyMind Coach in Toronto. She recommends incorporating these four chair exercises into your routine to effectively rebuild glute strength, even faster than using gym machines, especially for those over 60.

“While gym machines are effective for isolating and building glute strength and volume, they often train the muscles in a fixed manner that doesn’t fully translate to real-world movements,” Ahmed notes. “Functional glute strength involves training the hips to stabilize, extend, and control the body during daily activities, such as standing up, climbing stairs, walking, and balancing on one leg. Chair exercises and bodyweight movements are better at reinforcing these natural movement patterns because they engage the glutes in a more realistic, weight-bearing context, closely resembling everyday functional movement.”

“Gym machines are great for isolating the glutes and building strength and volume, but they often train the muscles in a fixed way that doesn’t fully carry over to real‑life movement,” Ahmed explains. “Functional glute strength is about training the hips to stabilize, extend, and control the body during everyday actions like standing up, climbing stairs, walking, and balancing on one leg. Chair exercises and bodyweight movements tend to reinforce these patterns better because they put the glutes to work in a more natural, weight‑bearing way, which mirrors everyday functional movement.”

Ahmed selected the following exercises because they’re low-impact, simple, and don’t require much equipment besides a sturdy chair and a resistance band. They activate the glutes in a meaningful way to prepare them for daily movement.

“They mix functional and more isolated movements in a way that still promotes strong glute engagement, which is needed for better movement quality,” Ahmed adds.

Chair Sit-to-Stands

1. Begin seated at the front of a sturdy chair, feet under your knees.
2. Lean forward just a bit.
3. Try to stand up without using your knees, hands, or additional support.
4. Use control to slowly sit back down.

Seated March

1. Begin seated with your feet placed hip-width apart on the floor.
2. Lift your left knee up to hip height.
3. Lower.
4. Then, lift your right knee up to hip level.
5. Lower.
6. Maintain solid posture as you continue to “march.”

Seated Hip Abduction

1. Begin by sitting tall.
2. Place a resistance band just above your knees. Alternatively, place your hands on your outer thighs, pressing inward to create resistance.
3. Push your thighs out.
4. Hold for 2 seconds, squeezing your glutes as you do so.
5. Slowly return to the start position.

Chair-Supported Hip Hinges

1. Stand tall, feet hip-width apart.
2. Place your hands on the back of a sturdy chair for support.
3. Press your hips back while maintaining a tall chest.
4. As you hinge forward, feel a solid stretch in your hamstrings.
5. Activate your hamstrings and glutes to drive your hips forward.