4 Bed-Based Moves That May Strengthen Your Core Better Than Crunches After 60

Bed exercises can be a simple and effective way to add variety to a balanced fitness routine.

Crunches are often the first exercise people reach for when they want to build and tone their core. Still, they are not the right fit for everyone. Since spot reduction is a myth, doing crunches alone is unlikely to noticeably reduce midsection fat.

Another option worth considering is bed exercises. Done on a supportive mattress, these movements can be a useful alternative for anyone who finds floor workouts uncomfortable.

To help you begin, we spoke with Lyndsay Hirst, a Physiotherapist and Clinical Pilates Instructor with 20 years of experience, who recommends four bed exercises that can support core strength as part of a well-rounded exercise plan after 60.

“Midsection thickening is more than just loss of abdominal tone. Hormone, diet, and age all play a part in developing excess fat/thickening around the middle. Strengthening your core with some bed exercises is highly unlikely to get rid of any midsection thickening. Having said that, Pilates started as bed exercises,” Hirst tells us.

Here are four bed exercises Hirst says can help build core strength.

One-Leg Stretch

1. Lie flat on your back on the mattress with your arms at your sides.
2. Bring your legs one at a time into tabletop position, with your knees bent at 90 degrees.
3. Exhale as you straighten one leg toward the bed.
4. Inhale and return to the starting position.
5. Repeat on the other side for 10 reps per leg.

Toe Taps With Arm Reaches

1. Lie flat on your back on the mattress with your arms at your sides.
2. Lift your legs one at a time into tabletop position, with your knees bent at 90 degrees.
3. Exhale as you lower one foot to tap the mattress.
4. At the same time, reach both arms overhead.
5. Inhale and return to the starting position.
6. Do 10 reps on each side.

Hip Circles

1. Lie flat on your back on the mattress.
2. Raise your legs one at a time into tabletop position, with your knees bent at 90 degrees.
3. Keep your pelvis and torso steady while moving one knee in a circular motion.
4. Imagine a pencil extending from the top of your knee and draw circles on the ceiling as large as comfortably possible.
5. Perform 10 reps on each side.

Side Bend Lifts

1. Lie on your side with your knees bent and your elbow directly under your shoulder.
2. Keep your spine long and support your upper body with your forearm.
3. Lift your hips away from the mattress, raising your waist while keeping your body aligned.
4. Slowly lower your hips back down to the mattress.
5. Complete 10 reps per side.

Alexa Mellardo

Alexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home.