Strength training for women over 60: a simple weekly plan

How much strength training do women over 60 need?

At least 2 days a week, working every major muscle group. The CDC recommends at least 2 days of muscle-strengthening activities for adults 65 and older, working the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms (CDC). The WHO 2020 guidelines give all adults the same rule, 2 or more days a week at moderate or greater intensity, and add balance and strength activity on 3 or more days a week for older adults (WHO 2020 guidelines). These recommendations are the same for women and men.

Sources: CDC, WHO 2020 guidelines, National Institute on Aging. If you cannot reach these amounts, the CDC says to be as physically active as your abilities and conditions allow.

Is strength training safe after 60, and does it work?

Studies of older adults are reassuring, as long as you start light and build up slowly:

• A Cochrane review of 121 trials with 6,700 older participants found that progressive resistance training had a large positive effect on muscle strength, and a moderate to large effect on getting out of a chair. In most trials, people trained two to three times a week (Cochrane review, 2009).
• The same review reports that musculoskeletal complaints, such as joint pain and muscle soreness, came up in many of the studies that tracked them, while serious adverse events were rare (Cochrane review, 2009).
• A 2025 analysis of 102 trials with 4,754 older adults found moderate to large strength gains with every type of training it compared, including body-weight and elastic band training, not only machines and free weights (Wiedenmann et al., 2025).

These are average results from studies, not a promise for any one person.

How hard should strength exercises feel?

Hard by the last repetition, but never painful. The National Institute on Aging describes the right effort as at least moderate, done to the point where it would be difficult to do another repetition, and suggests that beginners learn each movement without weights or bands first (NIA).

• Speed: about two seconds up, two seconds down.
• Breathing: breathe out during the effort and in as you relax; do not hold your breath (NIA).
• Joints: do not lock your elbows or knees straight (NIA).
• Rest: 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

What does a weekly strength plan for women over 60 look like?

Two strength days with at least one day between them, plus balance and walking on the other days. Here is a sample week, which you can shift to suit your own:

7 strength exercises for women over 60

Together they work the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms. You need a sturdy chair without wheels or armrests, placed against a wall, a long resistance band and a mat.

1. 1Sit-to-Stand

   

   

   Works: legs and glutes

   1. Sit on the front edge of the chair, feet flat and hip-width apart, arms crossed over your chest.
   2. Lean forward from your hips and push through your heels to stand tall.
   3. Take three seconds to sit back down, with control.

   Easier: Use your hands on your thighs to help you up.

   Harder: Pause for one second just above the seat before you sit.

   Sets and reps: 1 set of 8–10 at first, then 2 sets. Rest 30–60 seconds.

   Safety: Keep your knees in line with your toes as you stand.

2. 2Seated Knee Extension

   

   

   Works: front of the thighs

   1. Sit tall and hold the sides of the seat.
   2. Straighten one knee until your leg is level with the floor.
   3. Hold for two seconds, then lower slowly.

   Seated: Always done seated.

   Harder: Put a loop band around your ankles.

   Sets and reps: 1 set of 10 per leg at first, then 2 sets. Rest 30–60 seconds.

   Safety: Straighten the leg smoothly, without snapping the knee.

3. 3Wall Push-Up

   Works: chest, shoulders and arms

   1. Stand facing a wall, a little more than arm's length away, feet hip-width apart.
   2. Place your hands flat on the wall at shoulder height, shoulder-width apart.
   3. Bend your elbows to bring your chest toward the wall, keeping your body straight, then push back slowly.

   Standing: Stand a little further from the wall to make it harder, closer to make it easier.

   Seated: Do the chest press with a band from our resistance band exercises.

   Sets and reps: 1 set of 8–12 at first, then 2 sets. Rest 30–60 seconds.

   Safety: Wear shoes or stand on a non-slip floor so your feet cannot slide.

4. 4Seated Band Row

   

   

   Works: upper back and posture

   1. Sit tall with your legs out and a long band around your feet.
   2. Pull your elbows back past your ribs and squeeze your shoulder blades.
   3. Return slowly, keeping your chest lifted.

   Seated: Always done seated; bend your knees a little if straight legs are uncomfortable.

   Sets and reps: 1 set of 10–12 at first, then 2 sets. Rest 30–60 seconds.

   Safety: Do not round your back on the way back.

5. 5Standing Biceps Curl

   

   

   Works: arms

   1. Stand on the middle of the band, feet hip-width apart.
   2. Keep your elbows at your sides and curl your hands up.
   3. Lower slowly.

   Standing: On a non-slip floor or on your mat.

   Seated: Sit tall with the band under both feet.

   Sets and reps: 1 set of 10–12 at first, then 2 sets. Rest 30–60 seconds.

   Safety: Elbows stay at your sides; do not swing your back.

6. 6Glute Bridge

   

   

   Works: glutes and lower back

   1. Lie on your back on a mat, knees bent, feet flat, arms by your sides.
   2. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knees line up.
   3. Lower slowly, one vertebra at a time.

   No floor work: Do a second round of sit-to-stands instead.

   Harder: Add a loop band just above your knees, as in the pictures.

   Sets and reps: 1 set of 10 at first, then 2 sets. Rest 30–60 seconds.

   Safety: Lift only as high as feels comfortable for your lower back.

7. 7Bird Dog

   

   

   Works: back, abdomen and balance

   1. Get on all fours on your mat: hands under shoulders, knees under hips.
   2. Reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back.
   3. Hold for a breath, come back, then switch sides.

   Easier: Lift only the arm, or only the leg.

   Seated: Sit tall at the front of the chair, raise one arm forward and lift the opposite foot a little, hold, then switch.

   Sets and reps: 8 on each side.

   Safety: Keep your back flat like a table. Skip the floor version if kneeling hurts your knees.

Pictures: AI-generated images of Rose, the Fit with Rose character. All the moves of our kit, ready to print, are on the printable chair exercises page.

How do you progress without overdoing it?

One small change at a time. The National Institute on Aging says gradual increases in weight, sets, repetitions or days a week make muscles stronger, and warns that overdoing it can cause exhaustion, sore joints, and muscle pain or injury (NIA). A simple path:

If a session leaves you sore or tired for days, go back one step. For more band moves, see our resistance band exercises for seniors; for the balance days, our balance exercises for seniors.