{"id":486097,"date":"2026-05-15T13:57:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T13:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/486097\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T13:57:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T13:57:28","slug":"bed-exercises-to-restore-full-body-strength-after-60","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/486097\/","title":{"rendered":"Bed Exercises to Restore Full-Body Strength After 60"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want to rebuild strength after 60? A DPT shares 5 moves you can do in bed.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to build or restore strength, you don\u2019t need to invest in a pricey gym membership to do it. In fact, by kicking off the day with a few simple exercises, you\u2019re doing something incredibly meaningful for your body and overall well-being. The best part? You don\u2019t need to leave your bed to get started! We spoke with an expert who shares five bed exercises<\/a> that can help restore full-body strength<\/a> even faster than gym machines after 60.<\/p>\n

What makes the bed a surprisingly useful fitness tool?<\/p>\n

\u201cBed-based exercises can engage nearly all muscle groups, because, surprise\u2014your bed is actually a slightly unstable surface,\u201d explains Dr. Milica McDowell<\/b><\/a>, Doctor of Physical Therapy, AVP of Education, Author, Exercise Physiologist at US Physical Therapy with more than 20 years of experience in sports\/orthopedics. \u201cNot as wobbly as a balance board or a foam pad, but it\u2019s definitely soft and not stiff (hopefully!). This makes these exercises actually a little more challenging to perform on your bed rather than on the floor, minus the \u2018getting down onto the floor and getting back up\u2019 part, of course. So with that, your body weight is a great tool for resistance exercises, and over time you could look to progress these bed-based exercises to a yoga mat on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. McDowell is also a personal trainer, exercise physiologist, team and endurance sport coach, gym owner, 13-time Ironman finisher, 50K finisher, and CrossFit level 1 certified coach. Below, she shares five moves to add to your morning routine.<\/p>\n

\tThe Bridge<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bridge is the anchor of this whole routine. It\u2019s a glute and hip extensor exercise, and it helps you to reconnect with your spine stabilizers and your core. This move primes the rest of the system and should be tackled first,\u201d Dr. McDowell tells us.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Lie flat on your back with bent knees and feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides with palms pressing into the mattress.<\/li>\n
  2. Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.<\/li>\n
  3. Squeeze your buttocks, holding at the top for 2 seconds.<\/li>\n
  4. Lower your hips back to the start position.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    6 Morning Exercises That Restore Hip Strength Faster Than Floor Stretches After 55<\/a><\/p>\n

    \tDead Bugs<\/p>\n

    \u201cDead bugs are a deep core exercise of choice because they help you control and produce rotation, and promote a stable spine without loading the spine itself,\u201d Dr. McDowell points out.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Lie flat on your back, arms extended toward the ceiling and knees lifted in a tabletop position.<\/li>\n
    2. Press your back into the mattress and engage your core.<\/li>\n
    3. Lower one arm and the opposite leg.<\/li>\n
    4. Return to the start position.<\/li>\n
    5. Repeat on the other side and continue to alternate.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      RELATED: If You Can Do These 8 Lower-Body Moves, Your Leg Strength Is Elite<\/a>6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n

      \tCobra<\/p>\n

      \u201cCobra is there for spine range of motion and extension, which most people over 60 are desperately short of,\u201d Dr. McDowell says.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Begin by lying face down on the mattress, legs extended behind you and the tops of your feet pressing into the ground.<\/li>\n
      2. Keep your hands under your shoulders and elbows bent close to the sides of your body.<\/li>\n
      3. Breathe in and gradually lift your chest off the surface\u2014starting from the first rib under your collarbones\u2014by pressing into your palms and activating your back muscles.<\/li>\n
      4. Hold at the top, keeping your shoulders relaxed and gaze forward, before lowering with control.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        5 Bed Exercises That Restore Thigh Strength Faster Than Gym Machines After 60<\/a><\/p>\n

        \tAnkle Pumps<\/p>\n

        \u201cAnkle pumps are deceptively simple as they activate the calf muscle pump, improve your circulation, and keep the ankle joint mobile, which is your first point of contact when you are walking,\u201d Dr. McDowell notes.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Lie flat on your back with your legs extended.<\/li>\n
        2. Make sure your heels are comfortably resting and your legs are relaxed.<\/li>\n
        3. Point your toes away from your body.<\/li>\n
        4. Then, flex your feet back toward you, pulling your toes toward your shins.<\/li>\n
        5. Continue to pump your ankles in a controlled fashion.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Over 50? If You Can Do This Many Knee Pushups, Your Upper Body Is Stronger Than Most<\/a><\/p>\n

          \tTrunk Rotations<\/p>\n

          \u201cTry trunk rotations to round it out because rotation is the movement pattern many older adults lose first and need most for activities such as getting out of your car or reaching across a table,\u201d Dr. McDowell explains.<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Lie flat on your back on the mattress with bent knees and feet flat.<\/li>\n
          2. Extend your arms out to your sides to form a \u201cT.\u201d<\/li>\n
          3. Activate your core and keep your shoulders relaxed.<\/li>\n
          4. Slowly lower both knees to one side, making sure your shoulders remain pressed against the mattress.<\/li>\n
          5. Activate your core as you return to the center.<\/li>\n
          6. Lower your knees to the other side.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n

            \t\tAlexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home.\t\t\t\t\tRead more about Alexa <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Want to rebuild strength after 60? A DPT shares 5 moves you can do in bed. If you\u2019re…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":486098,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[278],"tags":[182992,18,525,135,19,17,112813,3401,1626],"class_list":["post-486097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-bed-exercise","tag-eire","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-over-60","tag-strength-training","tag-workouts"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116578945903738749","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=486097"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486097\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/486098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=486097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=486097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=486097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}