5 Morning Moves Women Over 65 Can Use to Support Core Strength

Doing these moves well can help everyday activity feel easier.

You may not think much about core strength, but it plays a major role in balance, lowering the chance of falls, protecting the spine and back, and supporting healthy pelvic floor function. A strong core also makes it easier to rise from a chair, carry items, bend over, and handle routine tasks.

Your core works hard for you, but it also needs regular attention. To help you get started, we spoke with Denise Chakoian, a Rhode Island certified fitness trainer and owner of Core Cycle and Fitness LaGree, who has more than 16 years of experience training people of different ages and fitness levels. Here are five morning exercises for women over 65 that can help keep the core strong and healthy.

“These exercises are particularly beneficial for women over 65 because they strengthen the abdominal, back, and hip muscles that help support the spine and keep the body stable. As we age, these muscles can gradually weaken, making everyday activities become more difficult,” Chakoian explains. “If you have the time, I recommend doing these exercises in the morning. Starting the morning with gentle core exercises can help loosen up the body after several hours of inactivity and prepare the muscles for movement throughout the day. Performing these exercises consistently can make everyday movements feel easier and also help reduce your risk of falling because they improve overall stability.”

Chakoian says you do not need to do every exercise, and you do not have to do them daily. A good place to begin is by choosing two or three of the exercises below and performing them two or three times a week. Once that feels comfortable, you can gradually increase the length of your workout or how often you do it each week.

Seated Abdominal Squeezes

1. Sit upright in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Contract your stomach muscles as if preparing for a light push.
3. Hold the contraction for 5 seconds.
4. Release.

Standing Knee Raises

1. Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart.
2. Use the back of a sturdy chair or a countertop for support.
3. Lift your left knee to hip height, pausing briefly at the top while keeping your core tight.
4. Lower it.
5. Repeat with your right knee, holding briefly before lowering.
6. Keep your posture steady and breathe evenly throughout.

Wall Planks

1. Stand facing a wall about arm’s length away.
2. Place your palms flat on the wall at shoulder height, about shoulder-width apart.
3. Walk your feet back until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
4. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes.

Seated Knee Extensions

1. Sit with your knees bent at 90 degrees.
2. Engage your core.
3. Slowly straighten one knee until the leg is fully extended.
4. Hold the position for 3 to 5 seconds.
5. Lower with control.
6. Repeat on the other side.

Standing Pelvic Tilts

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Place your hands on your hips.
3. Tuck your tailbone slightly, squeeze your glutes, and pull your belly inward.
4. Hold for 3 seconds, then release.
5. Repeat.