Master These 3 Bed Positions After 60 to Prove You Have a Top-Tier Core

Uncover how your mattress could become an unconventional tool for evaluating your core strength after the age of 60.

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Core strength often gets underrated when discussing healthy aging, yet its importance skyrockets beyond 60. Enhancing your core doesn’t hinge on sporting a chiseled midsection or a slim waist; instead, it’s pivotal for maintaining your balance, poise, and stability as you grow older. Whether reaching for something, bending over, or quickly regaining balance from a slip, a strong core is your ally.

Traditional methods for gauging core strength, like full sit-ups or planks on a hard floor, can be intimidating, especially for those with stiff hips, tender knees, or who are simply floor-averse. However, there’s promising news—testing your core requires neither a gym membership nor a yoga studio. In fact, you can evaluate your core capabilities from the comfort of your own bed, with expert guidance at hand.

Enter James Bickerstaff, CPT, a seasoned personal trainer affiliated with OriGym. He shared with us his top three mattress-friendly holds designed to precisely assess your core’s resilience post-60. These exercises mirror their floor-based counterparts by targeting critical muscles like the abs, obliques, lower back, and hip stabilizers, but utilize the comfort of a mattress instead of a hard floor.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stresses that core and lower body strength are pivotal in mitigating fall risks in seniors. Thus, your ability to sustain these positions offers insights far beyond mere abdominal fitness—it underscores the core stability crucial for safe mobility.

(And when you’re done, don’t miss these 4 Strength Tests Every Man Over 50 Should Be Able to Pass.)

Forearm Plank

Bickerstaff says the forearm plank is the gold standard of core exercises. “The forearm plank is one of the best all-round tests of core strength because it challenges your abdominals, lower back, shoulders, and glutes simultaneously,” says Bickerstaff. “Being able to hold a solid plank after age 60 demonstrates excellent trunk stability and muscular endurance.”

How to do it:

1. Lie face down on a bed and place your forearms on the mattress with your elbows directly beneath your shoulders.
2. Step your feet back until your body forms a straight line from head to toe.
3. Flex your core and squeeze your glutes.
4. Avoid letting your hips sag or lift too high.
5. Breathe steadily through your nose during the hold.
6. Hold for 20 to 45 seconds.

Side Plank

This plank variation shifts the challenge to the muscles most core workouts skip entirely: the obliques, or side abs. “The side plank targets muscles that are often overlooked, particularly your obliques and hip stabilizers,” explains Bickerstaff. “These muscles play a key role in balance and reducing the likelihood of falls, making this one of the most valuable exercises for healthy aging.”

How to do it:

1. Lie on one side with your forearm resting on the bed directly beneath your shoulder.
2. Stack your legs and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to ankles.
3. Hold the position while keeping your hips lifted.
4. Keep your head aligned with your spine.
5. Repeat on the opposite side.
6. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds per side.

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Dead Bug Hold

This third and final position adds a coordination element that mirrors how your core actually functions in daily life. “This hold teaches your core to stabilize while your arms and legs move,” says Bickerstaff. “This closely mimics common daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs, and carrying shopping, making it highly functional as well as effective.”

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent 90 degrees above your hips and your arms extended toward the ceiling.
2. Slowly extend one leg and the opposite arm.
3. Keep your lower back gently pressed into the mattress.
4. Alternate sides.
5. Hold each side for 10 to 20 seconds. Aim for 5 to 8 reps per side.

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The Bottom Line

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If you can complete all three of these holds with proper form and without your hips sagging or shaking uncontrollably, that’s a strong sign your core is in excellent shape for your age. If you struggled, that’s also useful information. Now you can work these holds into your routine two to three times a week, starting with shorter holds and building up gradually by trying to add 5 seconds every week. While a softer surface like your bed makes these holds more forgiving on your joints, the strength and stability you build will carry over to real life.