08/23/2025
5 staple exercises you need that will help you build strength and age well include:
• Push-ups
• Deadlifts
• Bent Over Rows
• Squats
• Plank
These exercises—push-ups, deadlifts, bent-over rows, and squats are compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups, promote functional strength, and will keep you strong and independent as you age!
You can start with bodyweight for most all and work your way up. Here's the breakdown and why you need them!
Push-ups don't require any equipment and can be met at any fitness level by using a wall as needed. Push-ups target the upper body’s pushing muscles, strengthens the core, and improves posture and stability.
Deadlifts are one of the best exercises you can do, engaging nearly every major muscle group, particularly the posterior chain, which is critical for power and posture. They will not only improve overall athleticism but help prevent injury. They also stimulate the release of testosterone and growth hormone, which support muscle growth. Start with light weight to work on form and then progress with time and consistency. You can lift heavy!
Bent Over Rows target the upper body’s pulling muscles that help balance pushing exercises like push-ups or bench presses to prevent muscular imbalances. They will improve posture and grip strength.
Squats target the largest muscle groups in the body (quads and glutes), which are critical for strength, power, and mobility thus improving athletic performance. Squats trigger anabolic hormone release, supporting muscle growth across the body.
Planks are another bodyweight only exercise that build endurance and stability in the core, which is essential for spinal health and will assist in heavy compound lifts like squats and deadlifts. You can perform on knees, forearms... any variation will improve your core strength.
These exercises replicate real-world movements (pushing, pulling, lifting, squatting, stabilizing), enhancing practical strength and reducing injury risk. There is no substitute for strength as you age, so start now!
