The #1 Exercise to Do as You Get Older

If you have time for only one exercise, fitness experts say, do squats

Michelle Crouch,

Updated November 19, 2025

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Published December 27, 2022

/ Updated November 19, 2025

Mary Beth Koeth

Seated? Please stand (don’t use your hands) to give tribute to the one exercise that fitness gurus say stands out among the rest for healthy aging. Now be seated again. Consider that your first rep.

Yes, a great workout challenges all the major muscle groups in your upper and lower body. But if you have time for only one exercise, you’ll get the most bang for your buck by doing squats, the move in which you slowly lower your bottom to seated level, then stand back up.

“The squat is the most important exercise for seniors,” says Eric Daw, a personal trainer and founder of Omni-Fitt in Toronto, Ontario. “When you have to go to the washroom, that’s a squat. When you get in the car, that’s a squat. Every time you sit down or stand up, that’s a squat. If you don’t do them well, it affects the way you live.”

What muscles do squats work?

Squats strengthen the muscle groups in your legs, including your calves, quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, as well as muscles in your lower back and core. Those muscles provide the foundation for most activities of daily living.

Squats are the antidote to soft-couch-cushion syndrome — those challenging moments when we struggle to get up from that deep, old sofa. They can also help protect your joints, improve your balance and prevent falls, says Denise Austin, who has spent more than 40 years as one of America’s best-known fitness experts and authors.

“Squats are one of the best overall exercises,” Austin says. “They strengthen the major muscles of the lower body we need to keep strong and also protect two joints we need help with on a regular basis — our knees and our hips.”

Benefits of squats

Some research even shows a link between strong leg muscles and longevity. A study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation found that people ages 70 to 79 with stronger quadriceps (the muscles along the front of the thigh) had a lower chance of dying over six years compared with those who had weaker quadriceps.

How to do squats

Proper form is essential when you’re doing squats, especially for older adults. Start with basic squats, and when you develop your technique, you can add weights.

Here's how you do squats correctly:

1. Get in position

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. If you have hip issues, it’s OK if your legs are a little farther apart. Point your toes slightly outward.

If you’re new to squats or feel unsteady on your feet, hold on to a stable surface like the kitchen counter. Holding on for stability makes it easier to focus on your form without worrying about your balance, Austin says.

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2. Lower into a squat

Bend at your knees and push your hips back like you are about to sit in a chair. Keep your back as straight as possible, chest up and heels planted on the floor. Activate your core muscles. Make sure your knees don't extend forward over your toes, because you can risk hurting your knees.

If you have knee or hip issues, you don’t need to do a deep bend. The part of the exercise that really builds strength is when you come back up, Austin says.

Try to keep your weight evenly distributed on both feet as you do the squat, with your weight mostly on your heels, not your toes, says Lori Michiel, founder of Lori Michiel Fitness, which specializes in senior fitness in the home.

3. Return to standing position

Push your heels into the ground, and while you exhale, straighten your knees and stand back up.

4. Repeat

Aim to do two sets of eight to 10 squats, at a pace of two seconds down, two seconds up. As your body tires at the end of the set, make sure you’re not hunching over or letting your knees cave in.

For the best results, do squat exercises at least three times a week as part of your regular strength-training routine. You can do them more frequently as you get stronger.

5. Put your arms in play

a woman doing a squat while engaging her arms

Mary Beth Koeth

As you build your strength, try doing your squats without holding on to anything. For help with balance, raise your arms out in front of you during the downward motion of the squat, then drop them to your sides when you stand up, Austin suggests.

You also can place your arms across your chest to help keep your back straight if you tend to hunch over, Daw says.

6. How to add weights to squats

Mary Beth Koeth

Once you've mastered the proper form of a basic squat and can do two sets of 15 without feeling any muscle fatigue afterward, try adding some weight.

The easiest way to add weight is to hold a pair of dumbbells by your sides, Daw says. “That’s how you build strength faster,” he says. Start with light weights and increase them as you get stronger.

Just remember that doing squats can be tough, but it shouldn’t be painful. So rest when you need to, and stop and talk to your doctor if doing squats is causing you any discomfort.

from left to right types of squats including split squats then heel raise squats then dumbbell-offset squats then side kick squats

Christine Rösch

New Squats for Older Legs

Try one or more of these squat variations to target more muscle groups. Why? Your muscles adapt fast, so if you repeat the same squat exercise, the muscles you're using will start to plateau, meaning they'll use less energy and fewer muscle fibers — and you'll get fewer results. Just a slight change to how you do the squat will remind your muscles to pay attention and improve your overall strength and fitness.

Split squats

Instead of keeping your feet side by side, plant your left foot about 3 feet in front of your right. Your left foot should be flat on the floor, while only the ball of your right foot should be touching the floor with your heel slightly elevated. Put your hands on your hips or let them hang down at your sides.

Holding this position, slowly squat down until your left thigh is parallel to the floor — your right knee will naturally lower down to just above the floor. Push yourself back up; repeat 6 to 8 times. Switch positions (putting your right foot forward) and repeat 6 to 8 more times.

Heel-raise squats

Perform a basic squat, but as you're returning to the standing position, keep lifting your heels off the floor as far as you can without losing your balance (even a centimeter off the floor counts!). Lower your heels back down to the floor and repeat 8 to 10 times.

Dumbbell-offset squats

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a lightweight dumbbell in each hand. Curl the weight in your left hand up and rest the dumbbell on your left shoulder — leave your right arm down at your side. Do one set of 8 to 10 repetitions of squats. Switch positions (resting the dumbbell in your right hand on your right shoulder, keeping your left arm straight) and perform a second set of 8 to 10 repetitions.

Side-kick squats

Perform a basic squat, but bring your hands up in front of your chest. As you push yourself back up into a standing position, shift your weight on to your right leg and gently lift your left leg out to the side, so you use only your right leg to push yourself back up. Alternate between your left and right legs for 8 to 10 repetitions. —Myatt Murphy, certified strength and conditioning specialist

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Michelle Crouch is a contributing writer who has covered health and personal finance for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Real Simple, Prevention, The Washington Post and The New York Times.