4 Types of Exercise You Need as You Age

Strength, cardio, balance and flexibility: Fitness researchers explain why you need them all

Erica Sweeney,

AARP

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En español

Published January 16, 2026

colorful, stylized illustration features four older adults performing diverse exercises in separate panels. In the top left, a man performs seated leg extensions; below him, a woman walks on a treadmill while wearing headphones. The center panel shows a man lifting a kettlebell, and the right panel depicts a man in a wide yoga or stretching pose

Jon Krause

When it comes to staying active as you age, you may follow the mantra “Move more, sit less.” Fitness researchers say it’s a good rule. But within that, you should also incorporate multiple types of exercises.

Relying on a single workout “will not address all of the areas of deficit” that come with aging, such as declines in muscle mass, balance and mobility, says Peter Ronai, an exercise physiologist and clinical professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Take walking, for instance. Ronai says it’s a “great form of activity for most people,” as it can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and a number of other ailments. “But unfortunately, [it] doesn’t do a lot to help bone loss, bone density loss. Doesn’t do a whole heck of a lot to address muscle loss. Doesn’t do a lot to address power,” he explains.

Healthy aging depends on incorporating multiple movements that “get your heart rate up, build strength, challenge your balance and keep your joints moving,” says Dr. Elizabeth Joy, a family, sports and lifestyle medicine physician based in Salt Lake City, and chair of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Exercise Is Medicine program.

Here are four types of exercise you need as you age, according to experts.

1. Strength training

When you think of strength training, you may conjure up sweaty bodybuilders or intimidating weight machines. But you can build muscle and strength with simple body-weight moves, like squats, push-ups (on your knees or against a wall, if you can’t do the full move), or sitting and standing from a chair, Joy says. Ronai suggests lunges and glute bridges, too.

Once you feel comfortable, add hand weights or resistance bands, and do overhead presses and dead lifts, Joy recommends. Start with a weight that allows you to comfortably move through a full range of motion for eight repetitions, and then add more resistance.

Strength training is crucial. Once you turn 30, your muscle mass starts declining by up to 8 percent per decade, and even more after age 60.

Declining muscle mass affects your ability to perform daily tasks and function independently, says Rebecca Lopez, a professor in the athletic training program at the University of South Florida School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Strength training helps preserve your muscles and improves bone density, potentially reducing your risk for osteoporosis, fractures and falls, Lopez says. It also makes tasks, such as carrying groceries up stairs or putting luggage in an overhead bin, much easier, Joy says.

Resistance training has also been shown to lower blood pressure for people 60 and over, according to a 2025 study published in Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. Another study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in 2024 showed that any amount of weight training lowered all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality for people with an average age of 70.

2. Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercises, also known as cardio, use large muscle groups for longer periods. Think: brisk walking, swimming, dancing, cycling or jogging. These moves get your heart pumping and your lungs moving more air.

Heart and lung functioning decline with age, and improving cardiovascular fitness can lower your risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and stroke, Lopez says.

Research backs this up. In a 2025 systematic review of studies published in the International Journal of General Medicine, people over 60 who participated in aerobic exercise experienced lower blood pressure and heart rates, and better cardiorespiratory health than those in the control groups who didn't exercise.

Maintaining cardiovascular fitness also has a “profound effect” on independence and quality of life — without it, “activities of daily living can become more of a burden,” adds Anthony Wall, senior director of global business development and professional education at the American Council on Exercise. People may also stay at home more often and avoid socializing. “This leads to greater feelings of isolation and increased likelihood of depression,” he says.

Cardio is good for your brain in other ways, too. Research published in JAMA Network Open in 2025 found that people who engaged in higher levels of physical activity in midlife and late life had a more than 40 percent lower risk of dementia than those with the lowest levels of physical activity.

3. Mobility and flexibility

Mobility, or “the ability to move multiple segments of the body through a range of movement,” is essential for doing things like putting on your socks, reaching across your body to grab your seatbelt, and turning your head, Ronai says.

“And in order to be able to do that, you have to have some flexibility in those joints,” he explains.

Your joints tend to get stiffer with age, Joy says. “Some of that is a function of if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. And, as I’m fond of saying, motion is lotion for the joint.”

Exercises that target joint mobility, such as yoga or tai chi, preserve joint health, improve posture and may decrease arthritis symptoms, Joy says. Maintaining mobility reduces stiffness and the risk of falls, and generally keeps you active and able to do chores and other tasks, Wall says.

Stretches, including overhead reaches and lunges, also help, Ronai says. Or lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and rotate your knees from side to side. Another stretch involves bringing your heel to your backside while standing.

4. Balance

Balance also declines with age. Lopez says it could be due to the loss of muscle strength, or vision or hearing problems. Diabetes can cause neuropathy and decreased sensation in your legs, and some medications affect balance, Joy adds.

Balance training increases your functional ability, preserves independence and “improves your coordination, your stability, when you're walking or getting in and out of a car or going up and down the stairs,” Lopez says.

It’s also “very important for fall prevention,” Ronai says.

Small movements throughout the day — like standing on one leg while brushing your teeth — can improve balance by challenging your center of gravity, Ronai says. Yoga and tai chi also help, Joy says.

Balance and strength are “very intertwined,” Wall adds. Many resistance training movements, such as chair squats, calf raises, single-leg stands and core exercises, build strength and balance.

Why you should combine all four exercises — and how to get started

Strength, cardio, balance, and flexibility are interconnected, Wall says: “We know that increasing strength helps with balance. Maintaining flexibility helps people with aerobic exercise, and so on.”

Striving to incorporate all four exercises is crucial for addressing different age-related physical declines, Lopez says. “So, kind of doing a little bit of everything is better than just doing one of them.”

If you don’t exercise much or you tend to focus on just one movement type, talk to your doctor, Ronai says. They’ll ensure a new workout routine is safe for you based on your medical history.

And start slow, Joy says. Add yoga or strength training after your morning walk; start with 10 minutes, then increase to 15, and so on. If yoga is your go-to, add a 10-minute brisk walk and progress the time and distance.

If you want some extra help, consider working with a certified exercise professional or a physical therapist, who can tailor workouts to your individual needs and abilities, Ronai adds.

What’s most important, Lopez says, is to find activities you enjoy — you’ll be more likely to stick to them.

“The key to long-term success is to start small and establish a habit,” Wall says. “Once exercise is a habit, then you can focus on more specific and longer-term goals.”

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Erica Sweeney is a freelance journalist with more than two decades of experience covering health, wellness and business. Her work regularly appears in The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Business Insider, Everyday Health, Men’s Health and many other publications.