Golden Years Bliss presents: exercises you should avoid after 60!

Whether you read magazines, watch the news, or read blogs, you already know what the magic rule for a wonderful and healthy life is: mindful eating choices, lots of water, and plenty of exercise. All in all, it’s all about balance, right?

However, if you want to avoid the risk of injury, have an active life, maintain your mobility, and improve your heart health, there are a couple of exercises you should avoid after 60. If you’ve been active for most of your life, these are probably fine for you, but if you were a sedentary person until recently, your health might be at risk.

You can always check in with your doctor and ask them about a proper workout regimen for your lifestyle and needs, but we’ve got you if you need some general guidance. Without further ado, here are some of the exercises you should avoid after 60.

1. Plyometric exercises

Plyo workouts are also known as jump training, and while it’s fun to jump up and down boxes or perform explosive movements like jump squats and jumping lunges, they might not be suitable for you, especially if you didn’t start working out until recently.

These exercises are great for cardiovascular health, toning the body, and muscle building, but to avoid injury, it’s best to have a trainer watch you and correct you if needed. These can put a lot of pressure on your joints and ligaments, and if you suffer from health conditions such as osteoporosis, they can be painful.

If you want to try plyometric exercises, the best thing you could do is to get to a trainer and reduce the intensity so you stay injury-free but still feel challenged.

2. Heavyweights

Other exercises you should avoid after 60 are those that involve heavy weights. Strength training is incredible for your body because it helps you put on muscle mass, burn a ton of calories even when you’re resting, have more energy, improve your heart health, strengthen your bones, and overall make you happier. You don’t need to push yourself too much when you’re a senior.

As we’ve previously said, if you’re used to lifting heavy weights and your doctor says it’s safe, do it, but if you’re new to this, you’d better stick to small weights, such as these ones. Don’t worry, you’ll still get the same benefits, but slightly slower. Personal trainers recommend you pick a weight you’re comfortable lifting 10 to 15 reps with.

PS: Since your quads and buttocks are the biggest muscles in your body, they’re stronger, which means that you can pick up heavier weights for your lower body and smaller ones for your upper body exercises. Don’t forget to warm up before your training session and cool down afterward; practice good form; ask for help in case you need it; and always be safe!

3. Sprinting

While sprinting is one of the best workouts for people who want to take it up a notch and take fitness to the next level, unfortunately, it is one of the exercises you should avoid after 60, mainly if you’re not used to sprinting or running.

If you have been sedentary or not into sprinting for most of your life, it can be tricky to start all of a sudden. The faster you go, especially without proper technique and gear, the greater the chance of getting injured. If you go too fast too soon, you could hurt your knees, ligaments, and ankles, and the recovery period might not be simple.

Of course, everyone is different, so if you’re used to intense workouts like this, you can continue, but make sure you have endurance and strength and are safe. If running or sprinting is not for you, a slower and steadier pace, including walking, might be more comfortable.

4. Deep squats

You probably know that squats are one of the best strength training exercises for your entire body, mainly for your lower body. Doing squats helps you engage your quads, buttocks, calves, and abs, and they can help you strengthen your muscles, improve your cardiovascular health, and have a great physique.

However, if you want to do deep squats, you’d better be careful, because some experts say that they’re part of the exercises you should avoid after 60. When you perform this workout, you have to do deep knee bands, and if you’re not warmed up properly or you don’t know the right technique, you could end up with a strain on your knee points, which is a common location for arthritis.

Not to mention, if you suffer from leg or back problems, it’s quite hard to maintain good posture and do the exercise correctly. If you want to work your lower body without risking injuring yourself, you can do chair sits. They’re effective, and you’ll have an amazing body after!

5. Stair climbs

Did you know that stair climbs are one of the exercises you should avoid after 60? While this type of workout puts every muscle in your body to work, it can be hard for you, especially if you don’t have a good physical condition or if you suffer from arthritis.

If you want similar benefits and keep your joints safe, you can do stair-step aerobics. This involves a low platform, so you can easily get up and down on it. This is going to be easier on your joints, but you still work your legs, buttocks, and abs and get those steps in at the same time.

6. Deadlifts with heavy weights

You probably know that weighted deadlifts are incredible for your hamstrings and backside, but experts say they’re part of the exercises you should avoid after 60. If you perform this movement with a heavy weight and you don’t have the proper technique, you could end up with a herniated disc, lower back pain due to muscle spasms, and strained muscles.

If you want to work on your lower body, you can do deadlifts with your body weight and then grab two water bottles in your hands to make it tougher. You can also do this exercise with weights, but choose some that make the exercise challenging while keeping good form and posture.

7. Crunches and sit-ups

If you used to do hundreds of sit-ups and crunches when you were younger and you noticed that it is quite hard for you to do these now, listen to your body. Some experts suggest that these are part of the exercises you should avoid after 60 because they can put the necessary pressure on your back and neck, which can then cause serious issues in the long run.

You can still work on your core by doing standing ab workouts and plank exercises on your knees. These will make your abs burn while also helping you maintain good posture, work on your balance, and engage your arms.

Do you know any other exercises you should avoid after 60? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget that this article is only a guideline for general workouts that might not be safe for seniors. You can always ask a personal trainer for tips on how to perform the exercises correctly and get the results you want. Listen to your body, make sure you have good form, and take care of yourself!

If you want to read something else from Golden Years Bliss, here’s a good post for you: Seniors Beware: 9 Important Preventive Care Tests You MUST Get After 50