BEST Core Exercise For Women Over 60!

February 16, 2021

As you age, your body will experience changes that can impact overall strength and mobility. One crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle is focusing on core strength. It plays a vital role in your day-to-day activities (like gardening, playing with grandkids, or walking your dog) and can significantly enhance quality of life as you grow older.

Dr. Chad Walding, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Co-Founder of NativePath—-with the help of his wonderful mother—-will guide you through one of the best exercises you can do for your core (without impacting your joints). Take it away Dr. Chad… 

The Best Core Exercise With Dr. Chad

“Dr. Chad Walding, here and with me here today is my 71 year old mom and we're going to show you a great core exercise that you can do laying on your back you could do this on a firm bed surface, or like you can see here I have a nice massage table I got for like 40 bucks on Amazon (you can also do it on the yoga mat on the floor) but it's a great way to improve the strength of your core without being really hard on your joints or or doing anything that's going to compromise your back. 

Okay, so in the starting position here we've got the knees bent, feet flat back on the table. What I want you to do is take your arms, put them straight up, make a fist and then bring the knees, bring them up right here and legs here right.

I want the first thing for you to do is think about keeping your low back flat. So we don't want to be able to put our hand under it. Keeping the low back flat engages the muscles in the core, it gets all those abdominal muscles working. 

We're going to keep the arms pointed straight keep the low back flat and one leg at a time going out real slow, all the way and then back and then the other leg here and then as we're doing this keeping the low back as flat as we can right make those muscles work and then back and then switching legs and as you're doing this you want to make sure that you breathe, don't hold your breath as we're doing these okay.

Keep the low back flat, breathe slow and steady, think about two to three seconds out two to three seconds in and the low back stays flat.”

The Importance of Core Strength

What is your core and why is core strength so vital? The core is a group of muscles in the front and back side of your body that help stabilize and control the pelvis and spine during movements and help maintain good posture and balance.

Balance is the ability to maintain control and stability while standing, walking, or performing any other physical activity. With age, balance naturally declines due to muscle loss, changes in vision and hearing, and a decrease in body awareness, also known as proprioception. Incorporating balance exercises into your wellness routine can help mitigate these effects and improve overall stability.

Maintaining strong balance becomes increasingly important because it reduces the risk of falls and related injuries. A focus on regular core training can enhance the body’s ability to stabilize during sudden movements or interferences, therefore reducing the likelihood of falls.

The Bottom Line

This exercise is excellent for improving the strength of your core without having to do any sit-ups, having to go to the gym, or anything like that, just really simple, really basic. 

It doesn't matter if you're 71 or 27 everyone should be doing these things because these are foundational exercises to our health. 

If you’re interested in more exercises to add to your wellness routine check out our incredible Movement Challenge.

Dr. Chad Walding, DPT
Article by

Dr. Chad Walding, DPT

Dr. Chad Walding is the Co-Founder and Chief Culture Officer at NativePath. He is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a passion for helping people eat, move, and live in harmony with their natural state.

Read More

Medical Disclaimer

This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Chad Walding nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program.

Leave a Comment