As we get older, maintaining a strong, stable core is more important than ever. Aesthetics aside, a strong abdomen and trunk muscles are crucial for balance and posture. Strengthening the core muscles can also dramatically improve your mobility in day-to-day life and help to mitigate against age-related muscle decline.
After we hit 30, our muscle mass slowly starts to decrease with age at around 3-8% per decade, which further increases past our 60s. Luckily, there are some things we can do to counteract this, one of the most effective being strength training.
Core training as we get older should focus on functional stability, controlled movement, and safe progressive overload, rather than high-intensity ab workouts. A strong core stabilises the trunk during walking and reaching, which helps prevent trips and loss of balance. A stronger core will make you feel more capable of continuing to do the activities you enjoy with family and friends, like gardening, hiking, cycling, and racket sports.
A study of adults aged 66-74 found that 9 weeks of core training reaped significant results, including up to 53% improvement in isometric strength (static muscle contraction), 11% improvement in spinal mobility, and a 20% improvement in balance. While a systematic review on the effects of core training on balance as we age showed core strengthening exercises yielded significant improvements in spinal stability and overall muscular strength.
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Top 8 exercises for a strong core
Some of the key exercises shown to improve trunk strength and stability as we age are outlined below. Try performing 1-3 rounds of these exercises in the form of 8–12 reps or 10–30 sec holds, depending on the movement. To see real results, you should be doing these strength exercises 2-3 times per week.
1. Bird dog
Start on your hands and knees with your stomach parallel to the ground and your back straight. Slowly extend one arm forward and the opposite leg backward until they extend in one straight line. Keep the hips level and spine neutral. Hold for 3–5 seconds, then switch sides.
2. Side plank
Lie on your side with knees bent (easier) or legs straight (harder) stacked one on top of the other. Lift your hips off the floor so your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees/feet. Hold for 10–30 seconds or longer if you're able.
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3. Curl-up
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet planted on the floor. Keep your abs engaged and lower back planted on the floor. Gently lift your head and shoulders a few inches off the ground, while keeping your lower back neutral. Avoid pulling the neck. Lower slowly, then repeat. The curl-up is essentially a very slight ab crunch. If you feel too much tension in the neck, interlace your hands behind the neck for support as you do the movement.
4. Abdominal bracing
Lie on your back or sit upright in a chair. Gently draw your belly inward as if preparing for a cough, without holding your breath. Hold 5–10 seconds before repeating.
5. Pallof press
Attach a resistance band to a static point at chest height to your side (ie. to a banister or pole). Hold the band at your chest and press your arms straight forward, resisting the pull sideways. Hold briefly, then return.
6. Glue bridge
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet planted flat on the floor just after your glutes. Tighten your core and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Hold briefly while squeezing the glute muscles to activate them, then lower. Vary this movement by adding in pulses at the top or by lifting the toes or heels off the ground.
7. Sit to stand
Sit upright in a chair. Engage your core and stand up without using your hands if possible (you can hold them out in front of you or cross them against your chest). Focus on pushing your weight through your heels. Sit back down again slowly. If it's too easy, try the movement on one leg.
8. Trunk rotation
Sit or stand upright. Slowly rotate your torso to one side while keeping hips stable. Return to center and repeat other side.
Russian twist is a development of this movement. Sit on the floor with your torso at around a 45-degree angle and lean backwards to engage the core. Slowly rotate your torso and shoulders to one side while keeping the hips stable. Return to the center and repeat on the other side. You can add a weight like a kettlebell, but be sure to keep the movement slow and controlled.
Top image: Centre for Ageing Better
