After 70, It’s important to have strength through a full, healthy, range of motion. When you use machines, you’re limited by the range of motion of the machine, not your body. The machine only moves so far in each direction. But what about building strength in those end-range-of-motion positions the machine doesn’t reach?
Using bodyweight-based standing exercises fix this problem, because you’re allowed to move within your full range of motion. Plus, you increase your balance in addition to the amount of weight you can lift. It doesn’t matter how strong your legs are if you can’t utilize that strength on a daily basis. Most of my clients after 70 who’ve restored their leg strength are the ones who quietly put in the work at home, grinding away every day, doing the following moves rather than going to the gym.
Chair Squat
Squat depth is one of the first ranges of motion to disappear as you age. First, it becomes harder to get on and off the ground, then to sit into a low chair, then into a car seat. That’s exactly why it’s important to improve your squat. This is also a movement you can progress by starting with a higher chair, and lower the height of the chair over time. This might mean you start with a bar stool, then move to a kitchen chair, and then move to a low step.
Push your hips back and down, and lower with control until you touch the seat lightly. As you get more and more control, use a lower object and then eventually try and do the exercise without the chair.
How to Do It
- Stand tall with a chair directly behind you
- Push your hips back and lower slowly
- Touch the seat lightly without sitting
- Keep your chest tall and heels down
- Stand back up without resting
- Repeat eight to ten times.
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Lateral Lunge
Strong legs need to be able to move forward and backward and also to the side. This exercise also helps prevent knee injury, because you strengthen the adductors as well as the quads and glutes. I like using single-leg exercises because they allow you to challenge both legs equally.
With this lunge, just like with the squat, you can start with a shorter range of motion. Then, as you get stronger, increase your lunge depth.
How to Do It
- Stand tall beside a counter
- Step one foot wide to the side
- Sit back into that hip and bend the knee
- Keep the other leg straight and both feet flat
- Push off to return to standing
- Alternate sides for ten to twelve reps.
Standing Good Morning
The good morning recruits your hamstrings and mimics the range of motion that you need to pick something up. When most people try to grab something off a low shelf or pick something off the ground, instead of properly hinging, they round their lower back to compensate for hamstring tightness. If you can practice utilizing your hamstrings and your hip muscles, you’ll reduce lower back pain and increase overall body strength.
Keep your chest open while you push your hips backward. You can use a slight bend at the knee, but try to avoid turning the movement into a squat. It’s more about pushing your hips back and forward rather than down and up.
How to Do It
- Stand tall with hands across your chest
- Soften your knees slightly
- Push your hips straight back
- Lower your chest with a long spine
- Stop when the hamstrings lengthen
- Drive the hips forward to stand.
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Single-Leg Chair Squat
This next exercise builds the same strength as the normal chair squat, but adds an additional level of challenge. Now, your muscles need to lift twice the amount of weight and you need to balance on one leg at a time. Often, this will be much easier on one side than the other, which teaches you which leg you need to focus on more.
Start out with a much higher chair than you do for the normal two-leg chair squat. Because the exercise is twice as challenging, you’re also going to half your rep count.
How to Do It
- Stand in front of a chair on one leg
- Hold a counter with your fingertips if needed
- Push your hips back and lower slowly
- Touch the seat lightly and drive back up
- Keep the knee tracking over the foot
- Repeat three to six times, then switch.
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Single-Leg Calf Raise
Finally, let’s strengthen our calves. Your calves are responsible for that final push when you walk up stairs. Just like with the single-leg chair squat, you double your challenge by performing this exercise one leg at a time. Hold on to a wall or a countertop for balance. Make sure to pause at the top of the movement.
How to Do It
- Hold a counter with both hands
- Shift your weight onto one leg
- Rise onto the ball of that foot
- Pause briefly at the very top
- Lower slowly all the way down
- Switch sides and repeat for eight to ten reps.
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