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For those who haven’t been keeping up with a regular workout routine, the idea of dropping to the floor for planks might not be all that enticing. Here’s some reassuring news: it’s not a necessity. By the time you hit your mid-40s, you may start experiencing a combination of core instability, decreased spinal flexibility, weakened deep abdominal muscles, and stiffness in your hips and lower back. This is often the result of prolonged sitting, stress, and a less active lifestyle.
While traditional planks can indeed be beneficial, they may not be the most effective core strengthening exercise for those over 45 who are just beginning or resuming their fitness journey. Planks often require substantial shoulder and wrist strength, which can become limiting as we age. Moreover, planks are static exercises and do not train the core to handle movement, rotation, and stabilization during everyday functional activities. The core extends beyond just the abdominal muscles; it encompasses the shoulders and hips as well, areas that planks may not effectively target.
For individuals over 45, standing core exercises prove to be more beneficial because they:
Why Standing Exercises Work Better for Your Core
- Train the core the way it’s used in daily life: while moving, twisting, reaching, lifting
- Engage more muscle groups at once: legs, glutes, postural muscles, and deep abdominals
- Reduce pressure on the wrists, shoulders, and lower back
- Improve balance and stability, which is crucial for longevity and preventing falls
- Encourage better posture and breathing mechanics, two things that naturally decline with age
Standing Superman
Why it works better than planks: Trains core stability while the body is moving, just like walking, climbing stairs or stepping off a curb.
How to do it:
- Stand in a stride stance, holding onto a small ball or weight on the same side as your front leg
- Simultaneously raise your back leg and arm with the weight up toward the ceiling
Common mistakes: Letting go of the abdominals and arching your back.
Modification: Raise the arm only instead of the legs and arms.
Scooter
Why it works better: Focuses on balance and stability of the whole body, including the legs.
How to do it:
- Stand in a stride stance, with the back leg on top of a small ball
- Extend the back leg behind you, rolling the ball backwards
- Bend the leg and bring the ball back into the starting position
Common mistakes: Collapsing through the chest, letting the knees turn in.
Modification: Perform without the ball.
Crab Walking with a Band
Why it’s effective: Teaches you how to integrate the hip muscles to help keep you stable whilst standing.
How to do it:
- Stand with feet wider than hips
- Place a band loop around your ankles or thighs
- Squat down slightly
- Whilst holding this position, take several steps towards the left, and then towards the right, back to your starting position
- Stay in the squat position, don’t let yourself move up or down
Common mistakes: Leaning side to side as you step, moving your upper body up and down.
Modification: Do without the band.
Standing Overhead Triceps
Why it works better than planks: A very challenging exercise for the arms but also requires good use of the abdominal muscles.
How to do it:
- Stand tall
- Grab a small weight with one hand and extend your arm directly above your head
- Bend the elbow and lower the weight behind your head
- Extend your elbow and straighten your arm back up above your head
- Keep your abdominals engaged at all times
Common mistakes: Shrugging the shoulders, arching the lower back.
Modification: Decrease the weight if it is too challenging.
Reaching Forwards with a Band
Why it works: This works the arms and all of the stabilizing muscles of your upper back.
How to do it:
- Stand in the middle of a long band
- Hold onto the ends of the band with your hands, and start off with your hands next to your hips
- Reach forwards and up to shoulder height
- Lower the hands back to your hips
Common mistakes: Arching your back as you raise your hands.
Modification: Use a lighter band, or a small weight.
Resisted Side-Bend
Why it works: Adding resistance to side bending strengthens the obliques.
How to do it:
- Stand tall, holding onto a weight with one hand
- Bend sideways, away from the hand that is holding onto the weight
- Return back to the original standing position
Common mistakes: Bending towards the hand with the weight, bending the arms.
Modification: Use bands or cables for a different type of resistance.
How to Add These to Your Weekly Routine
- Start with 2 to 3 days per week with 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps per exercise. Choose resistances so that your last few repetitions are hard to complete.
- Focus on slow, controlled movement and core activation, not speed.
- After 2 weeks, progress to 3 sets, or add light hand weights/resistance bands.
- Pair these with Pilates, walking, light strength training for a complete program.
- Always prioritize quality of movement over quantity.
What You Can Expect in 6 to 8 Weeks
With consistency and correct technique, most people over 45 can expect:
- Noticeably better posture and spinal alignment
- Improved stability, especially when walking, climbing stairs, or carrying groceries
- Stronger deep core muscles and reduced lower back tension
- Better balance and confidence in everyday movement
- A flatter, more supportive midsection, not just cosmetically, but functionally
