5 Standing Workouts That Rebuild Strength After 50

Grab some dumbbells and get ready to dive into these strength-building exercises.

Strength training, whether you’re using free weights, resistance bands, or machines, is a fantastic way to boost your strength, add muscle, and support healthy bones. It’s important because increased strength and muscle mass can help you perform everyday tasks more easily, and strong bones can lower your chances of fractures. A staggering 10 million people in the U.S. deal with osteoporosis, leading to over two million fractures annually. So, keeping your body strong is essential, and the approach doesn’t have to be elaborate.

We chatted with Dr. Matthew Brown, a physical therapist who established his practice in 2023, about five standing exercises that can help rebuild full-body strength more efficiently than gym machines for those over 50.

“Standing exercises effectively engage the entire body and improve stability for both the upper and lower body while teaching your body how to stabilize effectively,” Dr. Brown explains.

Below, he outlines five of his favorite exercises that can enhance overall strength.

Standing Hip Hinge to Row

1. Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Hinge at your hips, pushing them back as you lean forward, keeping your back flat.
3. Row the dumbbells toward your chest from this hinged position.
4. Lower the dumbbells back down.
5. Do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Standing Bicep Curl to Press

1. Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides.
2. Raise the dumbbells to your shoulders by bending your elbows.
3. Once at the top, rotate your palms to face forward.
4. Press the dumbbells overhead.
5. Hold briefly at the top.
6. Lower the weights back to your shoulders, then down to your sides.
7. Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Squat to Overhead Press

1. Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing in.
3. Bend your knees and push your hips back to lower into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
4. Drive through your heels, exploding out of the squat while pressing the dumbbells overhead smoothly.
5. Lower the weights to shoulder height.
6. Return to the squat position.
7. Complete 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Overhead Hold With Marching

1. Stand tall with a light dumbbell in each hand held overhead.
2. Lift one knee to hip level and hold.
3. Maintain a neutral spine and engage your core.
4. Lower the leg.
5. Lift the opposite knee to hip height and hold.
6. Continue to alternate between legs.
7. Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Lunge Rotation Walks

1. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell or medicine ball at chest level.
3. Step forward into a lunge, lowering until both knees form 90-degree angles.
4. Maintain a straight chest and rotate toward the front leg, using your core to drive the movement.
5. Return to the center.
6. Push through your front heel to lunge again.
7. Rotate toward the front leg once more.
8. Complete 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.