The #1 Exercise to Maintain Lower-Body Strength as You Age, According to Experts

Reviewed by Dietitian Katey Davidson, M.Sc.FN, RD, CPT

Key Points

• Squats strengthen key lower-body muscles needed for mobility and independence.

• A strong lower body supports balance, functional fitness and healthy aging.

• Step-ups, hip thrusts and glute bridges are also effective lower-body exercises.

Whether you’re picking up items scattered across your house, carrying bags of groceries up flights of stairs or scooping up a little one, we rely on our lower-body muscles every single day. Keeping our legs, hips and glutes strong not only supports these everyday movements, but becomes increasingly important for staying healthy, mobile and independent as we age. In fact, research links resistance training to better overall health, improved physical functioning, enhanced mental well-being and a longer, high-quality life.

This may have you wondering what exercise is best for maintaining lower-body strength with aging. To help, we asked a group of fitness experts and they all said the same one: squats. Read on to find out why this lower-body move deserves a spot in your regular routine.

Why Experts Recommend Squats

“The squat is considered one of the best exercises for improving quality of life because of its ability to recruit multiple muscle groups in a single maneuver,” says Tara Phaff, PT, D.P.T., a physical therapist.

Squats primarily target the quadriceps, glutes, adductors and hamstrings simultaneously, explains Anthony Petrosini, M.D., a sports medicine physician. “These are considered ‘anti-gravity’ muscles, which help prevent falls, and are necessary to maintain our ability to get up off the ground, rise up out of a chair or off of a toilet. They also prevent falls [which often lead] to hip fractures that are associated with a high mortality rate in elderly patients.” 

These muscles also happen to be the largest and most metabolically active, points out Amy Kiser Schemper, M.S., CPT. The more muscles you engage in exercise, the greater the benefits. Research shows that engaging in strength-training exercises is associated with reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even certain types of cancer, along with a lower risk of early death. 

But that’s not all—squats also engage secondary muscles. They engage your core, calves and lower-back stabilizers, says Schemper. “All of these muscles are essential for functional fitness because they maintain gait speed, support balance reactions and fall prevention, manage spinal load and reduce back pain and enable independent living tasks.”

For maximal benefits, it’s important to pair strength training with the right nutrition. Getting enough protein in your diet is essential to support muscle growth and maintenance, helping you get the most out of every squat.

How to Do It

Follow these steps from Schemper to perform a squat safely and correctly:

1. Set Up Your Position: Stand with feet hip-width apart and toes slightly turned out to maintain balance and control.

2. Stand Tall and Engage Your Core: Keep your chest lifted and open while bracing your core.

3. Drive Your Hips Back: Hinge at the hips as if you’re about to sit down in a chair.

4. Lower Down: Bend your knees and lower down until your legs are parallel to the floor or as low as is comfortable for you.

5. Press Back Up: Drive through your heels to return to a standing position. Continue for 8–12 repetitions or until you are close to failure (you almost can’t do another squat with proper form.)

Tips

• For beginners, use a chair or box behind you, hold onto a stable surface for more balance or reduce the range of motion by going down halfway for a partial squat, says Schemper.

• Once you’ve mastered body-weight squats, you can progress by adding weight or resistance, such as dumbbells, kettlebells or a mini loop band around the knees. Single-leg squats are another advanced variation to try.

Other Exercises to Try

Beyond squats, there are many other lower-body exercises to add to your routine for a well-rounded workout.

Step-ups

“The step-up is another extremely functional exercise, mimicking climbing stairs. It works the same muscles as the squat, yet adds levels of difficulty. It’s also a great modification for those who find lunges difficult,” says Schemper.

How to do it:

1. Place one foot on a sturdy platform or bench and lean slightly forward.

2. Drive through your midfoot and heel to lift your body up onto the platform until you’re standing. Avoid pushing off the other leg.

3. Gently lower back down with control until you’re in the starting position. Repeat for 8–12 reps, or until you’re close to failure. Then, switch sides.

Glute Bridge

“It’s generally safe for everyone, and can be done in a variety of ways to strengthen the glutes and hamstrings,” says Schemper.

How to do it: 

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart, and arms relaxed by your sides.

2. Press through your heels and lift your hips upward to the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top while keeping your core engaged.

3. Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position. Repeat for 8–12 reps, or until you’re close to failure.

Hip Thrust

“I like hip thrusters for people that want to strengthen the hips and glutes but find squats uncomfortable,” says Phaff.

How to do it:

1. Sit on the ground with your upper back resting against a sturdy bench or stable surface, and feet flat on the floor, hip-width distance apart.

2. Drive your hips upward until your torso is parallel to the floor, forming a straight line from shoulders to knees.

3. Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position. For an advanced option, hold a dumbbell across your hips.

Is It Safe for Everyone?

Squats are generally safe for most healthy people, with a few considerations. First and foremost, it’s important to prioritize proper form before adding weight or increasing difficulty, to prevent injury and target the right muscles. Also, keep movements slow and controlled rather than rushing through them. Finally, always listen to your body—if sharp pain occurs, stop immediately.

If you have aches, pains, injuries, musculoskeletal issues or severe psoriasis, it’s a good idea to consult with a trained professional, such as a sports medicine physician, physical therapist or certified personal trainer, before adding squats to your routine.

Our Expert Take

If you’re looking to maintain your lower-body strength as you age, experts agree: Squats are one of the best exercises you can do. They target multiple large muscle groups at once, delivering strength, metabolic and functional benefits all in one single move.

If you want to mix things up, glute bridges, hip thrusts and step-ups are also excellent lower-body options worth incorporating. Squats are safe for most healthy people, but if you have any injuries or musculoskeletal issues, it’s always best to consult with a trained professional before starting.

Read the original article on EatingWell