Best Exercise for Women Over 50
Jodie teaching Pilates resistance band arm pulls in a lunge for strength
Strength, Cardio or Flexibility for Over 50?
One of the questions women often ask as they get older is: what type of exercise should I actually be doing?
Should I be lifting weights? Doing cardio? Stretching more? Practicing Yoga or Pilates?
My answer is usually: you don’t have to choose just one.
As we move through our 50s and beyond, our bodies benefit from a combination of strength, cardiovascular exercise, flexibility, mobility and balance.
And exercise doesn’t have to mean pushing yourself harder and harder. I believe it’s about moving in ways that help you stay strong, capable and confident in everyday life.
Strength becomes increasingly important
Maintaining muscle and strength becomes particularly important as we age.
Strength-based exercise can support everyday activities such as carrying shopping, gardening, getting up from the floor and maintaining good posture.
This doesn’t necessarily mean lifting very heavy weights.
Pilates, resistance bands, hand weights and body-weight exercises can all be incorporated into a well-rounded movement routine.
In my classes, I particularly love seeing women discover that they are stronger than they thought they were.
Don’t forget cardiovascular fitness
Cardio is important too.
Walking, swimming, cycling, dancing and low-impact aerobic exercise are all ways of getting your heart rate up.
And cardio doesn’t have to be boring.
That’s one of the reasons I teach Retro Cardio Sculpt. Moving to 70s and 80s music makes exercise feel much more like fun than a workout — while still encouraging cardiovascular fitness and coordination.
Flexibility and mobility matter
Strength is wonderful, but we also want our bodies to move comfortably.
Yoga, stretching and mobility exercises can help maintain movement through the joints and reduce that feeling of becoming increasingly stiff as we age.
For me, flexibility isn’t about achieving impressive Yoga poses.
It’s about being able to move comfortably through everyday life.
And then there’s balance
Balance deserves a place in the conversation too.
Balance exercises help us practice stability, coordination and body awareness — skills that become increasingly valuable as we get older.
This is why I regularly incorporate balance work into my classes rather than treating it as something separate.
So which exercise is best after 50?
Rather than looking for one “perfect” exercise, think about creating variety.
Your week might include some strength work, some cardiovascular movement, Yoga or mobility work, balance exercises and gentler recovery days.
Most importantly, find movement you actually enjoy.
The best exercise programmed in the world won’t help very much if you dread doing it.
After more than 20 years of teaching, I’ve found that consistency usually comes when people discover movement that makes them feel good — physically and mentally.
You don’t have to train like you did at 25.
You can move in a way that supports the person you want to be at 60, 70, 80 and beyond. 💜
Want to Get Moving?
Kevala Health offers beginner-friendly Yoga, Pilates and fitness classes, including live online classes across Australia and in-person classes on Russell Island.
Continue your healthy ageing journey:
