4 Chair Exercises That Strengthen Your Core Faster Than Planks After 60

By Alexa Mellardo

July 28, 2026

If you’re in your 60s and want to give your core a solid strength workout, take a break from traditional floor planks and consider adding chair exercises to your routine. These functional movements are easy on the joints and safe to do. Most chair exercises are performed from a seated position. In this stable position, the emphasis is on engaging your core muscles without placing unnecessary pressure on your lower back, shoulders, or wrists. They’re a stellar choice—especially as you age.

To help you get started, we learned four chair exercises from experts that will strengthen your core faster than floor planks after 60.

“Traditional planks can be very hard on the weight-bearing joints (wrists, ankles, knees and hips) and put undue stress on the spine. Because of that, proper form may be difficult to maintain. If you cannot maintain proper form, you are susceptible to injury,” explains Karen Nelson, NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor at Grandview Terrace, a Sun Health Community in Sun City West, AZ. “You can target the same muscles safely and effectively while seated.”

Many individuals have muscle imbalances, where one area may be stronger than another. According to Ben Walker, Founder & Personal Trainer, Anywhere Fitness, who specializes in training clients in their homes and works with athletes and physicians, “Using a chair provides extra support, helping the core muscles work more evenly and reducing stress on weaker muscles, which makes the exercise safer and lowers the risk of injury.”6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Now, let’s get started.

Seated Marching or Knee Lifts

“This exercise will help improve hip mobility, strengthen your hip flexors and lower abdominal muscles,” Nelson tells us.

1. Begin sitting tall with your shoulders drawn back and down, your core engaged, and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Optionally, place a weight resting just above the working knee on your quad. Hold the weight with your hand.
3. Lift that knee up toward your chest, bracing your core.
4. Hold briefly at the top.
5. Lower your leg back to the start position.
6. Perform 8 to 16 reps on each side.

Seated Side Bends

“This exercise focuses on the oblique muscles located along the sides of your torso—and, if using weights, will strengthen your shoulders and back,” Nelson explains.

1. Begin sitting tall with your core engaged and your feet flat on the ground.
2. Place your right hand on the side of the chair for support. Alternatively, hold a dumbbell with that arm extended toward the floor.
3. Extend your right arm overhead and slowly bend to the right, feeling a solid stretch along the left side of your body.
4. Hold for a moment at the bottom before returning to the start position.
5. Perform 8 reps on each side.

Elevated Plank

Placing your elbows on the chair eliminates any pressure on the lower back, hands, wrists, and shoulders.

“When you bring your feet back while keeping a neutral spine and the hips tucked in the correct position, you will feel all the same muscles engaging as in a regular plank. This engages the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis. It also helps to strengthen your lower back,” Walker notes.

1. Begin with your forearms and elbows placed on the chair’s seat.
2. Walk your feet back so your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
3. Hold your plank with solid form.

Mountain Climbers With Hands on Chair

“By elevating the exercise on a chair, we reduce the stress on the hands and wrists when performing the movement in a high plank position. If the opposing muscles of the core and lower back are particularly weak, the floor version of this exercise can put excess pressure on the spine, particularly for older adults,” Walker tells us.

1. Assume a high plank with your hands holding onto the chair at the base.
2. Quickly drive your right knee toward your left elbow.
3. Swiftly return to a plank.
4. Repeat the movement with your left knee.
5. Continue to alternate at a fast pace.