Trainer Shares 11 Must-Do Exercises That Reverse Aging After 40

Bicep peaks, six packs, and heavy lifts may have been the dominating fitness focuses of your youth, but as we get older, priorities shift. Every year, 37 million adults over 65 experience a fall, and research shows that combining strength, balance, and aerobic training is one of the most effective ways to reduce this risk. Accordingly, mobility, power, and functional strength—not aesthetics—become the true priorities for maintaining independence and moving well as we age.

Don't let the old man in. Trainer Joshua Hash of Strength Side shared 11 bodyweight exercises to keep you moving well. Master these exercises now, and your future self will thank you.

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11 Anti-Aging Exercises

Split Squat

"The split squat is one of the ultimate displays of lower body mobility, specifically for the hip flexors. And I think it's pretty clear that when we get older, we start to hunch forward. So, keeping the front of the body more open is going to be so good for posture," Hash says.

How to Do It

1. Step one foot forward and the other back into a staggered stance.
2. Lower your back knee toward the ground while keeping the front knee aligned with your ankle.
3. Keep your torso upright and core engaged.
4. Press through the front heel to return to standing.
5. Repeat on both sides.

Horse Stance

The horse stance trains hip mobility and builds lower-body strength and endurance. Over time, you’ll sit deeper, open your hips more, and strengthen your glutes and inner thighs.

How to Do It

1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
3. Keep your chest up and spine neutral.
4. Hold for 1 to 2 minutes.

Pushup

Pushups are a simple, powerful way to build both upper body and core strength. They target the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core simultaneously, improving overall stability and functional strength.

How to Do It

1. Get into a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart on the ground.
2. Lower your chest toward the floor while keeping your body straight.
3. Press back up until arms are fully extended.

Shoulder Roll

The shoulder roll develops body awareness, athleticism, and spinal mobility.

How to Do It

1. Start in a crouched position on the ground.
2. Tuck your chin to your chest and roll forward over one shoulder.
3. Use your arms to guide your momentum and land safely.

Resting Squat

"The resting squat is a fundamental human position that honestly I think everyone should be able to do," he says. "It's a great display of lower body mobility. You have to be flexible in your ankles, your knees, your hips, even your low back."

How to Do It

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your hips toward your heels while keeping your chest upright.
3. If needed, place toes on a slight slope to ease the position.
4. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

Broad Jump

Broad jumps build explosive power, which is one of the first things that declines with age. Developing power helps with running, sports, and daily movements, keeping you quick and agile.

How to Do It

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart.
2. Bend your knees and swing your arms back.
3. Jump forward as far as possible, landing softly with knees slightly bent.

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Bridge Pushup

The bridge pushup is a full-body mobility exercise that counters the effects of age-related hunching. It strengthens the spine, shoulders, hips, and wrists, promoting flexibility and mobility

How to Do It

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place hands near your ears, fingers pointing toward shoulders.
3. Press through hands and feet to lift your head, chest, and hips off the ground.
4. Hold for a few seconds before returning to the bottom.

Duck Walk

The duck walk conditions lower body joints, improving knee and toe flexibility while strengthening single-leg balance.

How to Do It

1. Squat low with your heels on the ground and toes slightly raised if needed.
2. Step forward slowly, maintaining a deep squat.
3. Keep your chest upright and core engaged.
4. Continue for a set distance or time.

Cossack Squat

The Cossack squat strengthens and stretches the inner thighs, hamstrings, and groin. It also improves mobility for deep squat variations and everyday movements.

How to Do It

1. Stand with feet well over shoulder-width apart.
2. Shift weight to one leg while bending that knee and keeping the other leg straight.
3. Lower your hips toward the bent leg while keeping the straight leg’s heel on the ground.
4. Return to center and switch sides.

Crawl

"Crawling is really the only movement that connects the upper body to the lower body in this really natural way where the opposite arm and leg move together just like walking and sprinting," he says. "Your first few steps might feel easy, but if you do these for more than 10 steps, you're going to feel your whole body getting tired."

How to Do It

• Start on hands and knees.
• Move the opposite hand and foot forward simultaneously.
• Keep your core tight and back flat.
• Continue crawling for 10 to 20 steps.

Pullup

Pullups are the ultimate bodyweight exercise, building strength and endurance in the upper body. They reinforce hanging ability and overall functional strength, which is critical as we age.

How to Do It

• Grip a pullup bar with hands shoulder-width apart.
• Hang fully extended with a dead hang at the bottom.
• Pull your chin above the bar while keeping legs straight and core engaged.
• Lower slowly and repeat.

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