Maintaining a strong, mobile body becomes increasingly more important with age. Exercising regularly can help decelerate physical decline. In late February 2025, Athlean-X founder and physical therapist Jeff Cavaliere demonstrated five essential movements to stay fit for life.
You need to do these to maximize your quality of life.
—Jeff Cavaliere
5 Exercises for Longevity
- Single-leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
- Squat & Reach
- Sumo Stance Hold
- Posterior Chain Push-Up
- Hip Abductions
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The Balance Test
“Imagine having a test that can determine your physical fitness age based on something you do daily,” Cavaliere said. This test is simple, but it may not be easy: put on your socks and shoes without letting your foot touch the ground.
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that participants aged 51 to 75 who couldn’t balance on one leg for 10 seconds face an 84% increased risk of death over seven years. (1) This is likely due to a lack of physical fitness.
As we age, balance decreases, increasing the risk of falls and hip injuries that are strongly linked to rapid health deterioration, higher mortality, and increased morbidity. (2)(3)(4)
1. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
If you failed the balance test or want to ensure you don’t, bodyweight single-leg RDLs help build balance and hip strength. Strong hips are vital for everyday activities.
“Don’t just lean down; sit back like you’re closing a drawer with your butt,” Cavaliere says, demonstrating a hip hinge. As the hips push, bend forward, place the fingertips on the floor, lift one leg back, and squeeze your butt.
Aim for five repetitions per leg. Practice until you can do 10 controlled reps.
2. Squat and Reach
Tight adductors, or the inner thigh muscles, can cause lower back problems. The squat-and-reach stretch for the groin and back promotes healthy posture via spine extension.
Squat down, place your hands on the floor, and push the elbows against the knees. You should feel the inner legs stretch. Keep one hand on the floor, twist the upper body to one side, and reach the other arm toward the sky. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
Squeeze the shoulder blades together and try to reach further back gradually. “This upper back area tends to round from repetitive daily activities. We need to open it up,” Cavaliere noted.
3. Sumo Squat Hold
Sumo squat holds build leg strength, muscle endurance, and flexibility while enhancing thoracic mobility.
- Squat halfway down in a wide stance, like a Sumo wrestler, resting your elbows on your thighs while keeping your chest up. Again, hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Interlock your fingers and extend your arms overhead as high as possible for the same duration as you progress.
“It reinforces the area of your back that needs to remain mobile,” Cavaliere reminded.
4. Posterior Chain Push-Up
Many of our daily movements occur forward. Cavaliere warns, “[The posterior chain muscles] weaken quickly because we don’t think about or see them.” Posterior chain push-ups work the backside and pressing strength.
- Perform a push-up, then drop down to the floor.
- Reach forward like you’re flying.
- Lift your feet and thighs off the ground, squeezing the glutes.
- Lift your arms and engage your posterior.
- Lower your arms and slide them back to your chest.
- Repeat steps one through five.
5. Hip Abduction Exercise
Lastly, Cavaliere recommended side-lying abductions to maintain lateral hip strength and function. It targets the gluteus medius, which is vital for hip stability and side-to-side movement.
- Lay on your side. Lift the top leg, hold it in front of the body, and rotate it inward by pointing the toe down. Bring that leg behind the body and lift it as high as possible. Do these for 30 to 60 seconds per side.
“It should create a deep burn in the hip,” Cavaliere noted, specifically the gluteus medius. He added, “When messed up, this muscle leads to back pain, weak hips, and potentially joint degradation.”
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References
- Araujo, C. G., de Souza E Silva, C. G., Laukkanen, J. A., Fiatarone Singh, M., Kunutsor, S. K., Myers, J., Franca, J. F., & Castro, C. L. (2022). Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals. British journal of sports medicine, 56(17), 975–980. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105360
- Orive, M., Aguirre, U., García-Gutiérrez, S., Las Hayas, C., Bilbao, A., González, N., Zabala, J., Navarro, G., & Quintana, J. M. (2015). Changes in health-related quality of life and activities of daily living after hip fracture because of a fall in elderly patients: a prospective cohort study. International journal of clinical practice, 69(4), 491–500. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcp.12527
- Dyer, S. M., Crotty, M., Fairhall, N., Magaziner, J., Beaupre, L. A., Cameron, I. D., Sherrington, C., & Fragility Fracture Network (FFN) Rehabilitation Research Special Interest Group (2016). A critical review of the long-term disability outcomes following hip fracture. BMC geriatrics, 16(1), 158. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-016-0332-0
- Pande, I., Scott, D. L., O’Neill, T. W., Pritchard, C., Woolf, A. D., & Davis, M. J. (2006). Quality of life, morbidity, and mortality after low trauma hip fracture in men. Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 65(1), 87–92. https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.2004.034611
Featured image: @athleanx on Instagram
