5 morning exercises to restore muscle mass after 60 years

These simple morning exercises can help rebuild and maintain muscle.

Starting your morning with a healthy dose of movement sets you up for success throughout the day. After you reach 60, the best morning exercises to restore and maintain the muscles are simple movements that focus on them functional strength– not just exercise or stretching the car, he says Justin Craft, NASM-CPTPerformance Enhancement Specialist, Corrective Exercise Specialist and Founder of Aspire2MoreFitness.com, where he helps individuals gives strengthmovement and muscles through smart and steady training. To help you get started, we’ve rounded up five exercises that can help muscle recovery faster than sports training.

Sarcopenia – the natural loss of muscle mass – happens earlier than you think, in your 30s, with about 3% to 8% of muscle being lost each decade. The process accelerates only after 60.

“The drivers are anabolic resistance, which means that your muscles respond less effectively to the protein you consume, as well as the hormonal changes of testosterone for men and estrogen for women, as well as less daily spontaneous activity, as well as the quiet loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are the fastest-decreasing. And the hidden danger under all this energy loss is even the most severe decline and falls. hospitals and loss of independence, “he says Jacob Siwickifounder and head coach Civic FitnessNCSF and AFAA certified, former Equinox group fitness instructor in the top 1% in the world (2019), Dartmouth economics graduate and former Dartmouth football player, fitness expert on FOX 5 DC, ranked #1 personal trainer in DC in 2021.

Good news? Strength training can solve all of these at any age. Here are five morning moves to prioritize, according to experts.

Sitting down

“I recommend them as my number one because they build strength in the quads, glutes, and core through the movement that people need every day,” says Craft. “The ability to stand up from a chair with control is one of the clearest indicators of functional lower body strength. It seems easy to do, but as we age it’s important to maintain functional mobility.”6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

1. Begin by sitting in front of a sturdy chair with your feet under your knees.
2. Bend forward a little.
3. Try to stand up without using your knees, hands or extra support.
4. Use the controls to slowly sit up.

Steps

“Steps help build lower body strength while teaching balance, coordination and single-leg control,” says Craft. “After age 60, this combination is important because people often deal with muscle loss and reduced endurance.”

1. Stand tall, face down, and hold a light dumbbell in each hand.
2. Plant your left foot firmly on the ground, keeping your core engaged and your chest up.
3. Push through your left heel to lift your body until your left leg is straight and you are standing on the ground.
4. Use control to lower back to starting position.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Inclined pushups

“One of my favorite ways to train upper body strength without injury. It works the chest, shoulders, arms and core without requiring anyone to hit the floor, and it’s easy to scale based on ability,” Craft told us.

1. Use a stable surface, such as a wall, bench, plyometric box, or exercise bench, and place your hands shoulder-width apart.
2. Step your feet back so that you are at a straight angle from head to heel.
3. Keep your feet together and rise on the balls of your feet. Engage your core and keep your gaze forward.
4. Bend your elbows to lower your body until your chest is level with your elbows.
5. Return to the right hand.

Farmer work

“Farmer’s twists are one of the most practical strength exercises I use. They challenge grip, posture, core stability, and full-body tension in ways that translate directly to real life, like carrying groceries, laundry, or bags,” explains Craft. “A lot of people I meet in their 60s actually lose strength and posture when they walk too fast. It keeps the muscles working and you’re mobile.”

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
2. Start walking forward, keeping your body still and maintaining a tall posture.

Glute Bridges

“The glutes are the largest muscles in the body and the first muscles to weaken after age 60,” says Siwicki.

1. Lie flat on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hands by your sides and palms pressed to the ground.
2. Press through your heels so that your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
3. Squeeze your legs and hold at the top for 2 seconds.
4. Return your legs to the starting position.

Alexa Mellardo