Over 60? If You Can Perform These Four Core Moves, Your Strength is Exceptional
Do you have a strong core? If you are over 60 and don’t know the answer to this question, Cassondra Housek, Certified Personal Trainer and Pilates Instructor at Life Time River North in Chicago, maintains that there are a few moves that can help you know if your core is as strong as it should be. “Not only do all of these exercises work your core, but each one incorporates an element of full-body functionality as well. They include work for your balance and grip strength, as well as the ability to mobilize yourself by getting up and down from the floor,” she says. “All of these exercises can be progressed or regressed to meet your personal fitness level, and all but one require zero equipment, making them extremely accessible.”
Loaded Carries
Loaded carries are the first move that Housek recommends. “Carries are one of the best exercises that you can do as an aging individual. They build real-world strength (think about carrying groceries or luggage), help improve posture and balance, and are fantastic for building grip strength (which is tied to neuromuscular function),” she explains.
How to do it:
- Stand tall holding a weight in one hand
- Keep shoulders level and core tight
- Walk 20-30 steps without leaning
- Switch hands and repeat.
Bird Dogs
Bird dogs are the next exercise. “Bird Dogs are easily accessible, and will encourage you to kneel down and get back up from the floor. They build core strength, contralateral stability (which helps with balance and coordination), and activate muscles all along the core, including the abdominals, back, and glute muscles,” Housek says.
How to do it:
- Start on all fours, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips
- Extend right arm forward and left leg back simultaneously
- Hold 2-3 seconds with back flat
- Return to start and switch sides.
Dead Bugs
Dead bugs are another important move. “Perhaps the most accessible exercise of them all, these are done while lying in a supine position. Your back is fully supported, so Dead Bugs are a wonderful option to help relieve back pain while working the upper and lower abdominals, improving pelvic stability, and they also help to reinforce cross-body coordination,” she says.
How to do it:
- Lie on back with arms up and knees bent at 90 degrees
- Lower right arm overhead while extending left leg toward floor
- Press lower back into floor throughout
- Return to start and switch sides.
Glute Bridges
Glute bridges are the fourth move Housek recommends. “Let’s not forget that the glutes are an integral part of your core. Performing Glute Bridges is a safe, supported way to target the glutes, while continuing to work the abdominals, and promote better posture,” she says.
How to do it:
- Lie on back with knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart
- Push through heels to lift hips
- Form straight line from shoulders to knees
- Squeeze glutes at top, hold 2 seconds, lower slowly.
Honorable Mention: Planks
And, an honorable mention: Planks. “You may be wondering why Planks are not in my top 4 because they are such a quintessential core exercise. The truth is that while Planks are great, they do require a lot of strength to do correctly (especially in the arms and shoulders), they don’t mimic functional movement as much as the other exercises, and they are incredibly easy to do incorrectly without proper guidance,” Housek explains. “My recommendation would be to spend more time mastering and progressing the 4 exercises above, and add planking in later.”
How to do it:
- Start on forearms and toes, elbows under shoulders
- Keep body in straight line from head to heels
- Hold 10-30 seconds while breathing steadily
- Modify by dropping to knees if needed.
Why Core Strength Is Important As You Age
Why is core strength so important for active agers? “The core is one of the most important things that you can strengthen in your body because it is the foundation of all movement. Your core supports, stabilizes, and protects your spine, making it a vital muscle group for remaining active, strong, and independent for everyday living,” Kousek says. “Age-related muscle loss (known as sarcopenia) typically begins around the ages of 30-35, with a gradual decline of 1-2% muscle loss per year. By the ages of 60-65, that rate accelerates to roughly 3% per year. If you are not consistently strengthening your core, this muscle loss can lead to a weak, unstable spine, which in turn often results in back pain, decreased spinal flexibility, poor posture, and poor balance. Keeping up with core exercises in your routine will help combat this loss of muscle and strength.”