This 10-Minute Standing Routine Builds More Strength Than Gym Workouts After 60

By Alexa Mellardo

June 17, 2026

Not all workouts are created equal. But you don’t have to do a long, over-exerting weight-lifting regimen in order to build muscle. In fact, 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, who shares the perfect suggestion: a 10-minute standing routine that can help build more strength than gym workouts after 60.

A solid standing routine is a very efficient way to boost functional strength, as it imitates activities in everyday life. You’ll also build joint and core stability, and can do it comfortably in your own home at a time that works best for you.

According to Siwicki, every standing exercise doubles as a balance movement, so you challenge both strength and stability at the same time. Balance is the single most important predictor of whether someone is able to remain independent well into their golden years of life.

“Weight-bearing through the legs and spine is [also] what tells the body to maintain bone density,” Siwicki explains. “Sitting or lying down does not send that signal, and bone loss accelerates fast after 60, especially for women post-menopause. Third, standing routines look like real life. Carrying groceries, getting in and out of a car, lifting a suitcase into an overhead bin. The body adapts to what you train it to do, and standing work pays off in the moments that actually matter.”

Below, Siwicki shares a five-minute workout he recommends. Perform each exercise for roughly 2 minutes with 30 seconds of rest between.

Bodyweight Squats

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1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Extend your arms ahead of you or place your hands on your hips.
3. Bend at the knees and hips as you lower into a squat.
4. Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
5. Press through your heels to rise back up to standing.
6. Perform 3 sets of 12 reps.

Wall Pushups

1. Begin standing tall, arms-length away from a wall.
2. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the surface.
3. Engage your core and bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the wall.
4. Press back up to the starting position, keeping the movement slow and controlled.
5. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

Standing Overhead Press

1. Begin standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Hold a lightweight 5-to-10-pound dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, palms facing inward.
3. Press the weights overhead, extending your arms.
4. Use control as you lower the weights to shoulder height.
5. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

Single-Leg Deadlift With Chair Touch

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides.
2. Shift your body weight onto your right foot.
3. Keep a tall chest as you hinge at the hips and lean forward with your torso, reaching your arms out ahead of you toward a chair seat to touch it.
4. Extend your leg straight behind you until your torso becomes parallel to the ground.
5. Press through the standing heel to rise.
6. Perform 3 sets of 8 reps on each side.

Standing Band Rows

1. Start by anchoring a resistance band to a sturdy pole at chest level (or a doorknob).
2. Stand tall, facing the anchor point.
3. Hold the handles with both hands.
4. Bend your elbows and pull the band toward your chest.
5. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
6. Extend your arms back to the start position.
7. Perform 3 sets of 12 reps.