If You Can Hold This Position for 60 Seconds After 50, Your Strength Is Exceptional
It’s quite common for fitness enthusiasts to want to know how strong they are. There are many challenges, competitions, and movement tests to perform, including pushups, pull-ups, and kettlebell deadlifts. But if you’re curious about testing your strength at home, we’re here to simplify the process. In fact, we spoke with a fitness pro and learned the one position you can try holding for 60 seconds after the age of 50 that reveals exceptional strength.
Everyone should pay attention to their strength, to a certain degree. It’s not necessary to have sleeve-busting biceps, but maintaining strength as you age is essential for healthy, independent living. Muscle mass naturally declines with age—3% to 8% every decade after 30, in fact. But preserving strength enables you to do simple daily tasks, like lifting a grandchild and unpacking groceries.
Curious as to whether or not your strength is exceptional? If you’re over 50, try holding this position for 60 seconds and you’ll find out.
If You Can Hold This Position for 60 Seconds After 50, Your Strength Is Exceptional
One standout static hold is the forearm plank.
“If I had to pick one position that truly reveals exceptional strength after 50, it would be the forearm plank held with proper alignment and breath,” says Karen Ann Canham, CEO and founder of Karen Ann Wellness. It demands integrated strength, physical, mental, and nervous system resilience. Holding it for 60 seconds shows not just endurance, but also presence.”
Strength isn’t just about what your muscles can do—it’s also about how reliably your mind and body can tackle resistance and maintain control during daily movement.
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It’s About Your Nervous System, Not Just Muscle
“The ability to hold static positions like a plank or wall sit after 50 is less about aesthetics and more about neuromuscular communication,” says Canham. “It shows that your brain and body are still working efficiently together. Stability requires more than muscle; it’s a reflection of balance, coordination, and nervous system integrity.”
Muscular endurance in your 50s (and beyond) promotes solid functional fitness—the type of strength needed to get up from a chair, lift and carry groceries, and walk briskly without tiring.
“When the nervous system is regulated and the core and postural muscles are strong, movement becomes fluid and effortless rather than taxing,” Canham tells us.