5 Daily Exercises Men Should Do Each Morning to Build Leg Strength After 60 - Eat This Not That

For men over 60, leg strength is one of the first aspects of physical fitness that declines with age. According to the National Institutes of Health, the natural muscle loss that occurs with aging is called sarcopenia, and it speeds up the older you get. And as your strength goes down, daily movements like climbing stairs, getting up from a chair, walking uphill, or carrying groceries can become noticeably more challenging. The good news? You don’t need an intense gym routine or heavy weights to maintain leg strength later in life. Research shows that consistent functional movement may be one of the best strategies for maintaining lower body strength and mobility after 60. Also, the time of day you workout matters. Studies suggest that morning workouts may be especially helpful for rebuilding leg strength because they help activate muscles after long stretches of inactivity overnight. To learn more, we chatted with James Brady, CPT, a certified personal trainer at OriGym, who shares his top five daily exercises for men in their 60s to do each morning to build leg strength. The following movements are designed specifically to target the major muscles of your lower body while also improving balance, coordination, and mobility. Read on for the exercises and step-by-step instructions. And when you’re finished, check out these 5 Standing Exercises That Shrink Belly Pooch Faster Than Gym Classes After 60. Bodyweight squats are a fundamental movement pattern at any age. Plus, they strengthen your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core. “Bodyweight squats are one of the most effective morning exercises for building leg strength after 60,” says Brady. “Step-ups are excellent for strengthening the legs in a highly functional way because they mimic climbing stairs and improve stability during everyday movement,” explains Brady. if( 'moc.sihttae.www' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-53563316-1&cid=3c0c760d-8ea5-467b-a668-1ea7c51e571c&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=4200114112186391587'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); } else { var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); xhr.send(payload); } } ); } 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e If You Can Hold a Plank This Long After 60, Your Core Strength Is Top-Tier “Glute bridges help strengthen the glutes and hamstrings, which are essential for maintaining walking power, posture, and lower body stability as we age,” Brady explains. Your calf muscles are crucial for walking efficiency, balance, and lower body stability. “Calf raises are important for improving lower leg strength, balance, and push-off power during walking,” Brady explains. 4 Morning Exercises That Reverse Muscle Loss Better Than Lifting Weights After 50 “Reverse lunges are particularly effective for building leg strength because they train the quads, glutes, and hips while placing less stress on the knees than forward lunges,” says Brady. What’s more, the backward stepping motion also challenges balance and coordination.