{"id":648727,"date":"2026-03-11T20:01:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T20:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/648727\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T20:01:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T20:01:20","slug":"the-4-best-moves-for-staying-strong-as-you-age-no-gym-required-according-to-a-pt-and-ex-bone-surgeon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/648727\/","title":{"rendered":"The 4 best moves for staying strong as you age \u2013 no gym required \u2013 according to a PT and ex-bone surgeon"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a personal trainer and former orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Kate Ella knows more than most about what happens when people incorporate functional fitness into their daily lives. <\/p>\n

\u2018I saw so many people who had fallen and then been unable to get back up off the floor and the consequences of that,\u2019 she says. \u2018Getting up from the floor is so important as we get older because it means that not only can we keep saying yes to opportunities like playing on the floor with grandchildren but it also keeps us safe.\u2019<\/p>\n

Age-relate muscle loss (known as sarcopenia), which leads to frailty and increases the chances of falls, is a major issue in the UK. Dr Ella highlights a study<\/a> that found it affects more than 20% of adults in their 70s. The good news? You\u2019ve got the power to majorly delay it. \u2018There is so much we can do to build muscle without needing to join a gym or find hours of time that we don’t have,\u2019 she says. Below, find her four non-negotiable moves \u2013 no gym required.<\/p>\n

The exercises<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018These movements are some of my favourites to keep me getting up from the floor, by keeping my arms, legs and core strong, my back and legs mobile and my balance challenged every day.\u2019<\/p>\n

1. Crab walk <\/p>\n

    \n
      \n

      \u2018The crab walk is great for core and arm strength, and it’s one of those movements that everyone can get involved with, making it easy to fit into the day,\u2019 says Dr Ella.<\/p>\n

      2. Spinal twist <\/p>\n

        \n

        \u2018The spinal twist is super for back mobility, and can be done sitting down at your desk when you realise that you haven’t moved for far too long,\u2019 she adds.<\/p>\n

        3. Wall press-up <\/p>\n

          \n

          \u2018The wall press-up<\/a> is also amazing for arm and core strength and perfect to do while dinner is cooking. It can also be modified in so many ways to make it work for almost anyone \u2013 I\u2019ve recommended it to clients in their 30s and in their 80s,\u2019 says Dr Ella. <\/p>\n

          She suggests the \u2018diamond option\u2019 to older clients \u2013 \u2018stand close to the wall and make a diamond with your fingers and thumbs, then do the wall press. It really works the triceps which is so important for getting up from the floor and sofa (or the loo) and even more so as we get older and need that extra help.\u2019<\/p>\n

          \u2018For younger clients, I often suggest they move their feet as far from the wall as they can, while keeping their core engaged,\u2019 adds Dr Ella. \u2018That increases the angle between their body and the wall and therefore the force required. Then, they can progress onto a sofa press with hands on the sofa \u2013 that way, the force is still reduced compared to a standard press-up, but they can lower the surface over time and build up the challenge.\u2019<\/p>\n

          4. Tiptoe squat <\/p>\n

            \n

            \u2018The tiptoe squat that I do every night while I brush my teeth is probably my favourite,\u2019 says Dr Ella. \u2018It helps with leg mobility, leg and core strength and balance \u2013 all of which are so important for getting up off the floor in our 80s and beyond.\u2019<\/p>\n

            \u2018My top tip for movements like these is to work out how they fit into the day best so that they become a part of everyday life,\u2019 says Dr Ella. Habit stacking \u2013 incorporating the movement into an activity you already do daily \u2013 can be really effective, she adds. \u2018I use it myself, too \u2013 I always brush my teeth before bed (as you\u2019d expect), and so by stacking the tiptoe squat onto that, I know that I will do it every day. And the dentist was happy that my teeth are still being brushed well, too.\u2019<\/p>\n

            The takeaway? Never underestimate the power of adding even just minutes of functional fitness into your routine \u2013 Future You will thank you for it. <\/p>\n

            Related Story<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As a personal trainer and former orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Kate Ella knows more than most about what happens…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":648728,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[38],"tags":[1199,275666,1201,1198,210,1200,275665,244158,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-648727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-content-type-default","tag-contentid-4dd64938-913b-4c53-a964-c25f7b494dda","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-the-4-best-moves-for-staying-strong-as-you-age-no-gym-required-according-to-a-pt-and-ex-bone-surgeon","tag-subsection-cross-training","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116212327115386227","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=648727"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648727\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/648728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=648727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=648727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=648727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}