Four easy workouts for seniors
July 14, 2025
It’s way too easy to dismiss the feeling of slowing down as we get older as just an inevitable byproduct of age. After all, we begin to lose 3-5% of our muscle mass every decade after our 30s, and our brain starts to shrink at around the same time. That feeling of stiffness in your joints? It’s not just in your imagination. At times, it can feel demoralizing, and easy to accept.
But it doesn’t have to be this way!
Steve Di Ciacca, Physical Therapist and Program Manager at the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, tells Yahoo Canada "Our body is not meant to last forever… But it's not necessarily the same for everybody. It is largely dependent on how we really live our lives going forward. Leading a sedentary lifestyle can speed up this decline, making people more frail and dependent on others.”
Okay, so what do we do? And what if we’ve been sedentary for too long?
“Incorporating regular exercise can slow down and even reverse some aspects of physical and mental decline. It's never too late to start," Di Ciacca says. If we decide it's 60, we want to do something about it, we can actually reverse a significant amount of that decline."
Alright, so give me the exercises!
First off, it’s vital to note that you should always consult with a physician before starting any workout or exercise program. With that said, Di Ciacca recommends the following simple exercises that can be done at home in Yahoo’s article:
Balancing on one leg: This one is for balance, and it’s just how it sounds. Try for a few seconds at a time, and continue progressing as the weeks go by.
Simple stretching: Grab a chair to sit in, then pull your knees up to your chest by wrapping your arms around them. At the same time, bring your chin to your chest. You can also reach for the sky with your arms while standing.
Weighted marching: Hold very light weights, or even cans of food! Anything with a bit of weight that you can easily grip. Then, march on the spot.
Chair Squats: Sit in a chair, stand up from it, then slowly sit back down, trying to maintain stability.
As simple as these may seem, each performs a different function that can help you continue to move well throughout your daily routine, whether that’s getting out of bed, doing work around the house or even chasing the grandkids!
They key is to go at your own speed and progress slowly. Little changes can compound into a big difference over time.
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