Top 5 Strength Drills to Keep Fit After 50: A Guide to Healthy Aging

As you journey into middle-age, preserving your strength becomes a pivotal factor in maintaining an active and self-reliant lifestyle. This stage of life often brings challenges such as muscle deterioration, a decelerating metabolism, and a decline in physical activity. To counter these changes, it’s essential to enhance your workout routine. We consulted with Marwa Ahmed, a NASM-Certified Personal Trainer and Running Coach, and CEO of The BodyMind Coach in Toronto. Her expertise in personalized fitness and performance training offers valuable insights into assessing your physical fitness level.

We’ve compiled a list of five functional strength drills that serve as benchmarks for those over 50. Successfully completing these exercises with the correct form indicates that you are in commendable physical condition.

“For adults over 50, being in ‘good shape’ encompasses strong functional abilities in strength, mobility, endurance, and balance,” Ahmed explains. “This translates to performing daily activities such as walking, lifting overhead, hinging, and gripping without the risk of falls or injuries.” She emphasizes that these exercises are considered gold-standard because they are validated for seniors, require minimal equipment, and directly correlate with independence by mirroring everyday functional movements.

We have five functional strength drills listed below. If you’re over 50 and are able to complete them with proper form, know that you’re in solid shape.

“For adults over 50, ‘good shape’ means strong functional ability across strength, mobility, endurance, and balance. This means being able to do daily tasks such as walking, lifting overhead, hinging, and gripping without risk of fall or injury,” Ahmed tells us. “These [exercises] are gold-standard because they’re validated for seniors, require minimal equipment, and directly correlate with independence, mirroring everyday functional movement.”

The best part? These strength drills channel everyday movement.

“[For instance,] chair stands test rising from low seats (key for preventing dependency); arm curls simulate carrying bags or holding objects overhead; the up-and-go assesses turning and quick stops to avoid falls while carrying loads,” Ahmed notes. “Strong scores mean better ability to lift grandkids, garden, or shop without strain, reducing injury risk as muscle naturally declines after 50.”

30-Second Chair Stand Test

1. Begin seated at the front of a sturdy chair, feet under your knees.
2. Cross your arms in front of your chest.
3. Lean forward slightly.
4. Try to stand up without using your knees, hands, or additional support.
5. Use control to sit back down.
6. The goal is to sit and stand from the chair as many times as possible within 30 seconds.

30-Second Arm Curl Test

1. Stand tall with your feet slightly staggered.
2. Hold a 5 to 8-pound dumbbell in each hand at your sides with a supinated grip.
3. Bend one elbow to curl the dumbbell up toward your shoulders.
4. Squeeze your biceps at the top.
5. Use control to lower, stopping right before your elbows fully lock out.
6. The goal is to curl the weight as many times as possible with one arm before switching to the other.

1. Begin sitting on a sturdy chair.
2. Press through your feet to rise up.
3. Walk 8 feet.
4. Turn around and walk back toward the chair to assume a seated position.

6-Minute Walk Test

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1. Begin standing tall.
2. Walk as far as possible within 6 minutes. This gauges your aerobic capacity for real-life stamina and walking.

30-Second Back Scratch Test

1. Begin standing tall.
2. Reach one hand over that shoulder and the other behind your back to touch your fingers. This assesses shoulder range for reaching and dressing.