If You Can Do These 4 Exercises After 60, Your Body Is Still Young

By Alexa Mellardo

July 3, 2026

There’s a timeless saying that rings truer and truer as you age: You’re only as old as you feel. If you take care of your body and exercise regularly, you’ll find daily tasks and activities much easier to keep up with. On the contrary, if you don’t get in some healthy movement each day, you risk becoming dependent on others at some point in time. Simple things like getting in and out of bed, carrying shopping bags, and walking up steps can become quite challenging.

But how can you tell if your body is truly “young?” Well, we spoke with Jacob Siwicki, founder and head coach of Siwicki Fitness, NCSF and AFAA certified, former top 1% globally ranked Equinox group fitness instructor (2019), Dartmouth economics graduate and former Dartmouth football player, fitness expert on FOX 5 DC, ranked #1 personal trainer in D.C. in 2021, to learn exactly what to do. Siwicki shares four stellar exercises for you to try after the age of 60. If you can perform them, consider yourself youthful—and keep doing what you’re doing. If they’re not easy to complete, it may be a good idea to include them in your daily exercise routine and work your way up to a comfortable level.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

“Together, these four measure the qualities that drop fastest with age and matter most for daily function: full-body strength, balance and proprioception, mobility through the hips and shoulders, coordination, and grip,” Siwicki tells us. “Endurance is intentionally not on this list. You can build endurance at any age in a matter of weeks. The qualities above take years to lose and years to rebuild, which is exactly why they are the best markers of biological youth.”

Brazilian Sit-Rise Test

“Anyone over 60 who scores 8 or higher has full-body mobility, coordination, and strength most 30-year-olds have already lost,” Siwicki says.

1. Begin standing tall.
2. Lower to a cross-legged seated position on the mat.
3. Then, stand back up using as little assistance as possible.
4. Scored out of 10, you lose a point for each hand, forearm, and knee used along the way.

Single-Leg Balance With Eyes Closed

“Closing the eyes removes the visual stabilizer and forces the inner ear and proprioception system to do all the work,” Siwicki shares. “Most 60-year-olds get 5 to 10 seconds. Holding 30 means the nervous system is still calibrated to a much younger baseline.”

1. Stand tall on a flat surface with your feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides.
2. Shift your body weight onto your left foot.
3. Lift your right foot off the ground.
4. Activate your core while keeping your shoulders stacked over your ribs and your hips level.
5. Hold the single-leg balance with your eyes closed for 30 seconds.
6. Repeat on the other side.

Full Pushups

“Full pushups are a true upper-body strength test. The variation matters because knee pushups remove too much of the core demand to be diagnostic,” Siwicki says.

1. Start with a high plank with hands under your shoulders and your body straight.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor.
3. Maintain a long, straight body as you lower.
4. Press back up, straightening your arms.
5. Women should aim for 5 full pushups while men should aim for 10.

Dead Hang From Pull-Up Bar

“Grip strength is one of the most reliable predictors of longevity in the research, and the hang also tests shoulder integrity, scapular stability, and core engagement under load. If someone can hang for 30 seconds at 65+, their upper body is functionally intact,” Siwicki explains.

1. Hold onto a pull-up bar with an overhand grip.
2. Allow your body to completely hang with arms extended and feet off the floor.
3. Hang onto the bar for 30 seconds.