Exercises Every Woman Over 60 Should Include in Her Daily Routine

How to be Healthy, Lean, and Sexy Well into Your Sixties

Mountain Climber

As a dedicated fan of the '80s spandex-required aerobics television programs, I jogged, jumped, and lunged in front of the screen every morning to maintain my weight. The programs taught me how to exercise for heart health and flexibility. I continued with these same exercises for many years because it's enjoyable and it generally works. However, the older I get, the more difficult it is to exercise without causing injury while also keeping the bulges at bay. What follows are the exercises I've found to be best for women over 60.

No spandex, but aerobics is still in fashion.

Heart disease is a killer of the women in my family, so I include at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercises—Zumba and tabata—and at least 40 minutes walking each day. I often supplement my routine with weight training.

Strength training does more than build muscles!

Not only can lifting weights maintain muscle mass as we age, it's common knowledge that it also helps older women fight against bone loss and improves our posture. Therefore, I also include at least 15 minutes of strength training using hand weights and resistance bands.

Be flexible and try yoga.

When I was younger, I'd jump out of bed ready for the day. Today, I'm a bit slower about jumping out of anything. As we age our connective tissue ages with us, it's weaker and stiffer. However, by including stretching exercises in our routine, we can reverse quite a bit of this. Our local PBS network offers a yoga routine, which I perform twice a week. YouTube is a great source of routines as well. So far, it has increased my flexibility and range of motion immensely.

Strengthen the core to prevent injury and to gain balance.

Many women over 60, me included, have balance issues. It's vitally important to strengthen core muscles to help prevent us from falling. The added benefit is that these exercises trim the entire center of the body—think sleek and sexy. However, the older we get, we injure easier and heal slower. Thus, it is essential to concentrate on performing all exercises with perfect form. Silver Sneakers is a perfect resource for this. My hubby joins me for two routines each week.

My personal core training continues with at least 10 minutes of abdominal and lower back exercises each day. Crunches can hurt arthritis-afflicted necks like mine, so I include other exercises like the plank, bridge, and mountain climber as well.

How to do the exercises: plank, bridge, and mountain climber.

Mountain climber video is posted at the top.