{"id":987797,"date":"2026-05-27T09:59:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T09:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/987797\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T09:59:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T09:59:25","slug":"these-are-the-muscles-you-should-train-to-stay-strong-and-mobile-after-60-according-to-a-physio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/987797\/","title":{"rendered":"These Are the Muscles You Should Train to Stay Strong and Mobile After 60, According to a Physio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Building muscle<\/a> after 60 isn\u2019t just possible \u2013 it may be one of the most important things you can do for long-term health and independence.<\/p>\n

According to physiotherapist Will Harlow, who specialises in helping adults over 50 improve strength and mobility, muscle loss accelerates significantly with age unless it\u2019s actively challenged through training.<\/p>\n

Speaking in a recent YouTube video<\/a>, Harlow explained that adults over 60 commonly begin losing strength in several key muscle groups linked to balance, posture and everyday movement.<\/p>\n

But the decline isn\u2019t inevitable.<\/p>\n

\u2018The body still responds to resistance training later in life,\u2019 Harlow explains. \u2018You just need to train the right areas consistently.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Why Muscle Loss Accelerates After 60<\/p>\n

Harlow says age-related muscle loss \u2013 known as sarcopenia \u2013 affects strength, balance and mobility<\/a> as people get older.<\/p>\n

Research from Norton Healthcare has also highlighted how sarcopenia increases the risk of falls, loss of independence and reduced physical function in later life.<\/p>\n

The good news, according to Harlow, is that strength training can significantly slow \u2013 and sometimes reverse \u2013 many of these effects.<\/p>\n

\u2018The body still responds to resistance training later in life,\u2019 he explains. \u2018You just need to train the right areas consistently.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Muscle Groups Adults Over 60 Should PrioritiseGlutes<\/p>\n

Harlow describes the glutes<\/a> as one of the body\u2019s most important structural support systems alongside the core<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Strong glutes help stabilise the hips, support posture and improve balance while walking or lifting objects. Weakness in this area often leads to instability, forward-leaning posture and difficulty standing up from chairs without assistance.<\/p>\n

\u2018When the glutes weaken, the entire body becomes less stable,\u2019 Harlow says.<\/p>\n

Calves<\/p>\n

The calf muscles<\/a> play a major role in balance and forward movement.<\/p>\n

According to Harlow, weak calves can reduce walking endurance, shorten stride length and make people feel less stable on their feet.<\/p>\n

While many assume this decline is simply an unavoidable part of ageing, he says targeted strengthening work can make a significant difference.<\/p>\n

Rotator Cuff Muscles<\/p>\n

In the upper body, Harlow highlights the importance of the rotator cuff \u2013 the group of muscles and tendons responsible for shoulder stability.<\/p>\n

Weakness in this area can make everyday tasks like reaching overhead, lifting objects or putting on a jacket increasingly uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, Harlow says these muscles respond well to consistent strengthening exercises.<\/p>\n

Core Strength<\/p>\n

The core remains one of the most important areas to train after middle age.<\/p>\n

\u2018Your core stabilises almost every movement you perform,\u2019 says Harlow.<\/p>\n

As people age, many stop training it altogether, which can increase instability and raise the risk of falls or injury \u2013 particularly during twisting or reaching movements. <\/p>\n

Why Strength Training Matters More With Age<\/p>\n

Harlow says the goal after 60 isn\u2019t necessarily to look like a bodybuilder<\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s to maintain strength, independence and quality of life for as long as possible.<\/p>\n

Still, transformations like the one that recently went viral online prove that building muscle later in life is absolutely possible with the right approach and consistency.<\/p>\n

\u2018Ageing doesn\u2019t mean you stop responding to training,\u2019 Harlow says. \u2018It just means your training needs to become more intentional.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Building muscle after 60 isn\u2019t just possible \u2013 it may be one of the most important things you…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":987798,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4322],"tags":[21201,1630,105,274628,16,15],"class_list":["post-987797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-discover","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-redis","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116645957942586413","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/987797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=987797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/987797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/987798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=987797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=987797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=987797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}