Embracing a healthy relationship with your body can truly pay off, especially as you age. One of the best ways to ensure your body supports you through the years is by focusing on core strength. The core, which includes your abdominal muscles, obliques, and lower back, is vital for maintaining balance, stability, posture, and even breathing. It’s the foundation for everyday activities such as bending, lifting, and sitting comfortably, which all contribute to a higher quality of life. With this in mind, we’ve developed a quick, six-minute standing workout that enhances core strength more effectively than traditional planking, particularly for those over 50.

Strengthening your core doesn’t necessitate hours in the gym or heavy weightlifting. In fact, this efficient six-minute routine is designed to fit seamlessly into your day. It’s an excellent option for those short on time, proving that everyone can find six minutes to invest in their health. This standing workout also offers benefits beyond typical floor exercises.

According to Eric North, also known as The Happiness Warrior—a renowned wellness speaker, coach, and advocate for purposeful aging—standing core exercises engage a wider array of muscles compared to floor exercises. “Standing exercises require you to stabilize and balance against gravity, employing a broader range of motion that mimics functional, everyday movements,” North explains. “While floor exercises often isolate the abdominal muscles, standing routines involve the legs, hips, and postural muscles, providing a comprehensive workout. Additionally, they can alleviate neck and back strain while fortifying secondary stabilizer muscles.”

North provides a sample six-minute standing exercise routine outlined below. Execute each movement for 45 seconds, followed by a 15-second rest between sets. This quick and effective regimen is designed to boost your core strength and enhance your overall well-being.

6-Minute Standing Routine to Strengthen Your Core After 50

Below, North breaks down a sample six-minute standing exercise routine. Perform each move for 45 seconds with a rest period of 15 seconds in between each set.

Standing Marches

Standing marches may seem simple, but they’re surprisingly excellent for improving core strength, stability, and balance. This exercise emphasizes controlled movement, giving your deep core muscles a stellar workout while boosting coordination, posture, and body awareness.

1. Start by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Lift your left knee up to hip height while keeping your core engaged.
3. Lower your foot and repeat with your right knee.
4. Maintain solid posture and steady breathing throughout.
5. Perform standing marches for 45 seconds.

Front Kicks

Front kicks are an underrated lower-body exercise that engages the core, glutes, quads, and hip flexors. This move puts your coordination, balance, and stability to the test, requiring your abs and obliques to stay engaged throughout.

1. Start by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands placed on your hips for stability or in front of your chest.
2. Shift your body weight onto your right leg, maintaining a tall posture and an engaged core.
3. Lift your left knee toward your chest, then extend that leg straight ahead of you in a controlled kick motion.
4. Slowly lower the leg to the start position.
5. Repeat on the other side.
6. Continue to alternate kicks, performing the exercise for 45 seconds.

Squats

Bodyweight squats are a tried-and-true exercise trainers love—for good reason. This simple, incredibly productive lower-body movement not only works your legs and glutes, but also fires up your core, helping to boost balance, stability, and functional strength.

1. Begin the exercise by standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Extend your arms in front of you or place your hands on your hips. Use a chair for support, if necessary.
3. Bend at the knees and hips as you lower into a squat.
4. Use control to descend until your thighs assume a “sitting” position or lower.
5. Press through your heels to return to standing.
6. Perform squats for 45 seconds.

Lunges

Lunges are a simple yet highly effective lower-body exercise that activates the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves, offering a functional challenge for your legs while firing up the core. This move helps boost balance and lower-body strength.

1. Begin by standing tall with your feet parallel and hip-width apart.
2. Step one foot forward.
3. Bring your hands to your hips.
4. Engage your core as you bend your knees, lowering to form 90-degree bends in both legs.
5. Keep your upper body straight.
6. Press through your front heel and the ball of your back foot to rise back up.
7. Perform lunges for 45 seconds.

Standing Side Bends

Standing side bends help sculpt and tone your waistline by engaging the obliques and deep core muscles. Incorporating lightweight dumbbells or a resistance band revs up the intensity of this core-strengthening move.

1. Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart and arms relaxed by your sides or holding a light dumbbell in each hand.
2. Activate your core and slowly bend your torso to the right, lowering your right hand (or dumbbell) toward your thigh while keeping your left arm by your side.
3. Return to the start position.
4. Slowly bend your torso to the left, lowering your left hand (or dumbbell) toward your thigh.
5. Continue to perform the exercise for 45 seconds.

Standing Twists

This dynamic core exercise trains your core as you rotate your body from one side to the other. Standing twists fire up the obliques and deep ab muscles while boosting spinal rotation. For added resistance and intensity, you can hold a medicine ball or dumbbell.

1. Begin by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart and knees bent just a bit.
2. Hold your hands together in front of your chest or hold a light weight/medicine ball.
3. Rotate your torso to the left, and make sure your hips stay facing forward.
4. Return to the center.
5. Rotate your torso to the right.
6. Continue to perform this exercise for 45 seconds, engaging your core throughout.