Best Exercise Routines for Women Over 50

By Gale Compton, Skinny Ms.

Age is nothing but a number. Really! Looking young, fit, and sexy is not about how many years you’ve lived, but about how well you’ve taken care of your body. And reaching the big five-oh should be celebrated, not dreaded. These are some of the best exercise routines for women over 50.

I’ve chosen these exercise routines for women over 50 for several reasons. First of all, these workouts are great for building and maintaining muscle. We naturally start losing muscle mass as we get older (loss starts as early as age 30!), so its important to be proactive about maintaining tone. These workouts use a combination of dumbbells, bodyweight moves, and gym machines to target all the major muscle groups. They won’t turn you into a bodybuilding champion, but they’ll keep you strong through your fifties and beyond!

Second, these workouts are a challenge for your heart without being too taxing. They’re ideal for people looking to maintain their cardiac health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States (yikes!), and the two main ways to keep your heart healthy are to eat right and exercise regularly. These workouts include cardio, which done 3-4 times per week will help you maintain your cardiac health.

Finally, I chose these workouts for women over 50 because they engage the whole body in multiple ways. They’ll make you use your joints, improve your balance, challenge your flexibility, and more. The best way to keep your body young is to use it often. Keep moving! If you stay active throughout your fifties, you’ll be better off in your sixties and seventies.

Check out these routines and let us know your favorites in the comment’s section.



1.

10-Minute Beginner’s Yoga Workout for Balance

One mistake women in their 50s often make is assuming they’ll never be able to complete a workout if they don’t get through it their first time. The point of this yoga workout is to slowly improve your balance and flexibility. You’re may struggle with the poses at first! Be persistent and you’ll love the results.

At a Glance: Easy, Balance & Flexibility



2.

6-Minute Arm Toning Workout

This dumbbell arm workout will teach you all the basic lifting exercises you need to tone your arms. It will target your biceps, triceps, shoulders, and a little bit of your upper back. Beginners can start with a single round and slowly work their way up from there.

At a Glance: Easy, Strength Training



3.

Before Breakfast Mini Morning Workout

A morning workout is more energizing than a cup of coffee. Not to mention cheaper too! This 6-minute workout combines yoga with some basic bodyweight moves to wake you gently. It’ll help you stretch, get your blood flowing, and even rev up your mind.

At a Glance: Easy, Balance & Flexibility



4.

How to Tighten Your Butt with Resistance Bands

Just like lifting a heavier weight, adding resistance to a lower body exercise makes it more intense. If you want a truly effective butt workout, add resistance bands to your donkey kicks and leg lifts. You’ll be seeing results in no time.

At a Glance: Easy, Strength Training



5.

Lose Weight with the Walk Fast/Slow Plan

This plan will ease you into running. It’s a step-by-step guide perfect for anyone who is new to running, or people getting back into it after an injury or extended absence. For many women, walking, jogging, or running is all the cardio they need to stay healthy.

At a Glance: Easy to Intermediate, Cardio



6.

On-The-Mat Six Pack Workout

This is a basic mat workout you can do anywhere, anytime. You’ll notice your abs burning after the first few moves. The trick to getting visible results is to keep your core engaged throughout the workout. Focus on keeping proper form and contracting the abdominal muscles.

At a Glance: Intermediate, Strength Training



7.

3 Moves to Toned Inner Thighs

This quick 3-move workout is a combination of cardio and lower body strength training. While the moves will challenge your muscles, therefore making them grow stronger, the kicking and stepping also raises your heart rate. You’ll be burning calories even while you build muscle.

At a Glance: Intermediate, Strength Training and Cardio



8.

Summer Slim Down Workout for Beginners

It’s cardio without the treadmill. However, if you push through this workout at a quick pace, you’ll burn more calories than you would have running! Squats, walking lunges, hip twists, toe touches, and planks all activate large muscle groups that help you burn tons of calories. Do this workout 2 to 3 times per week to up your calorie burn.

At a Glance: Intermediate, Strength Training and Cardio



9.

10 Yoga Poses for Faster Weight Loss

This is one of the hardest yoga workouts we have. It uses some more challenging poses that truly engage your muscles. It’s a great workout for both building strength and burning body fat.

At a Glance: Intermediate to Advanced, Balance & Flexibility



10.

30-Minute Upper Body Cardio Workout

This 30-minute routine is a complete workout. If you do this, you don’t have to do anything else for the day, other than a quick warm-up and cool-down. This workout is more advanced than some of the others on this list, so it’s ideal for women are already fit.

At a Glance: Advanced, Strength Training and Cardio

Don’t let anyone make you feel like you can’t be in amazing shape once you hit 50. You set your own limitations! These workouts are great for getting on the right path. I hope you enjoy these routines as much as I do!