Staying independent is something most of us take for granted — until you wake up one day and struggle to get up from your recliner. While age-related muscle loss, creaky joints, and weaker bones are common, experts say they're far from unavoidable, and there are investments you can make now to ensure that you'll remain strong, active, and mobile for the long haul.
According to Will Harlow, a U.K.-based physiotherapist who specializes in working with adults 50 and up, even small amounts of targeted exercise can make a meaningful difference. We spoke to him about his "holy trifecta" of bone health, the three exercises he thinks we should all be doing to remain independent as we age, and more.
What tips do you have for people looking to build muscle later in life?
Will Harlow: It does take longer and is tougher to do when you’re in your seventies compared to your twenties and thirties, but there’s plenty of research that shows it’s possible if you’re consistent and follow the right approach. What we’ve found in our practice, and what the research says, is you only need two sessions of 20 to 30 minutes a week to do this. And this is especially the case if you’re someone who has not really had an exercise program up to this point, or if you’re not a gym rat. If it’s your first time sticking to a regimen, you'll see amazing results in the first 12 to 13 weeks. There’s no evidence that suggests you need to be working out five times a week in hour-long sessions to make progress.
In your book, Independence for Life, you write about exercises that people can do to work on their balance. Can you share one that people can start doing today?
Another one that I like is called the tightrope walk. It trains your dynamic balance, which is your ability to balance while moving. All you want to do is walk heel to toe, like you would on a tight rope, for about 30 seconds. If you do that four to five times a day, you’ll see a meaningful difference in a few weeks.
What are your top three exercises for people over 50 who want to retain their independence?
My number one pick is the farmer’s carry. You pick up two heavy weights and then just walk with those weights for 30 to 60 seconds. Just doing a few reps can be very effective. I love this exercise, because it works your legs and glutes, builds up your grip strength (which is one of the big things to go if we don’t train it), and it also improves your posture.
Another one is called the goblet squat. For that, you need a weight. It doesn’t have to be a dumbbell, you could just fill a bag with books and hold it to your chest. Then you squat as deep as you feel comfortable and then come back up.
The third one is a calf raise. This isn’t one I’d recommend for someone in their twenties, but it’s so relevant for people 50 and over, because your calves in your lower legs are responsible for 70 percent of your forward propulsion when you walk. The easiest variation of this is to hold onto something, go up onto tiptoes, hold for a second, then slowly come back down. To make it more challenging, you can do the same thing, but with your feet hanging off a step.
With all of these exercises, you want to do them until they're challenging but not impossible. So don't take it right to failure, but take it to about a seven out of 10 in terms of difficulty, a couple of times a week.
What advice do you have for those concerned about their bone density?
There's actually a lot that can be done to maintain bone density than I think many people assume. I think the holy trifecta for bone health is resistance training, impact training, and walking. For resistance training, exercises like the farmer's carry and goblet squats are great. Anytime you're lifting something from the floor that's decently heavy, that sends a signal to your bones that prompts them to start rebuilding bone tissue. Bone isn't a structure that remains static, it turns over all the time — and every 10 years, you've got a completely new skeleton.
The other thing that's very effective is impact training, so jumping, hopping, going up onto your tiptoes and dropping down to the floor — that all signals to your bones to regenerate. There's also evidence that shows even walking can help. One study found that older women who walk briskly three times a week for at least 30 minutes tend to have bone density that's 11 percent higher than women that don't do any walking. So even though it might not help increase bone density that much, it certainly maintains it.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
