Did you know you could lose? Up to 8% of muscle mass Have you heard that you lose muscle mass every decade after your 30s, and that the rate of muscle loss accelerates after your 60s? But strength training can help you maintain muscle mass, stay strong and mobile, and stay away from aches and pains — and it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Personal trainer and founder of a women’s fitness franchise Victory MVMT Stacey Orsborn says there’s one simple exercise that can help you maintain and build muscle mass and keep your joints healthy, no matter your age: squats.
The benefits of squats for improving strength and mobility
“Squats are the best strength exercise I can recommend to older people because they work every muscle group,” says Osborn. Because they’re a compound movement, they work a variety of muscles at the same time, including your quads, glutes, and core. “Compound lifts that use the whole body are great for any type of lift,” Osborn says.
Squats are an exercise that helps maintain your ability to perform everyday activities like sitting down and standing up from a chair. “Prioritizing strength training as you age is really important for quality of life,” Osborn says. “The strength to get up off the floor is really helpful as you get older.”
How to do bodyweight squats
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly outward.
- Press your hips back and bend your knees down, keeping your chest up and your knees pressed outwards rather than inwards.
- Once your hips are in line with your knees (or as low as your range of motion allows), pause.
- Press up through your heels to stand up.
“Imagine having a strap attached to your tailbone and knees, and as you descend, it pulls both of them upwards,” Osborne says.
Osborne also recommends inhaling before lowering to engage your core, then exhaling as you come up.
If you’re struggling to maintain good posture, it could be due to a lack of mobility in other parts of your body: “Issues with ankle mobility can affect posture, such as squatting low enough,” says Osborne.
Lack of core strength can also play a role: “A weak core can cause your chest to collapse,” says Osborne. If you’re not a big fan of your core, try these beginner-friendly core exercises.
If you want more tips on form, check out our complete guide on how to squat.
How to Modify and Improve Your Squats
Squats are easily adaptable to your strength and mobility levels, so be sure to gradually increase the difficulty as you improve.
“For beginners, air squats using your own body weight or squatting into a chair or bench will suffice,” Osborne says.
If you have trouble squatting all the way down to lower your hips below your knees, try squatting down into a chair, box, or bench that’s at knee height. As soon as your butt hits the chair, quickly push up through your heels to stand up.
“From there, you can progress to kettlebells or dumbbells,” Osborne says, “and then gradually increase the weight to make it a little more difficult.”
If you’re in the gym, barbell squats are a great exercise to aim for, says Osborne: “Back squats work your posterior chain more. [the muscles located down the backside of the body] “Front squats engage your core more,” says Osborne.