The Best Exercises for Over 40s: A Personal Trainer's Guide

After 18 years of training men and women in their 40s, 50s and 60s, I have a very clear picture of which exercises produce the best results for this age group — and which ones cause unnecessary strain and injury. A great programme does not need to be complicated. What it does need is balance — covering all the major movement patterns your body uses every day. In this guide I am going to give you the essential exercise for each one: legs, push, pull, hinge and core.

Why Exercise Needs to Be Different After 40

The over-40 body is different in several important ways from a younger one. Recovery takes longer. Joint health requires more attention. Hormonal changes affect how the body responds to different types of training. The nervous system changes mean that the risk of injury from poor technique is higher, while the benefit of good technique is greater. Exercise selection after 40 should reflect all of these realities — which is why I always build programmes around the fundamental movement patterns rather than random exercises that look impressive but have no real purpose.

The 5 Movement Patterns Every Over-40 Programme Needs

Every well-structured training programme should include one exercise from each of these five categories. Together they work the entire body, build balanced strength, protect the joints, and deliver the results that matter most after 40 — improved body composition, better posture, more energy, and greater longevity.

The Leg Exercise: Goblet Squat

The goblet squat is one of the most effective lower body exercises for the over-40 body. Holding a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest height naturally encourages an upright posture, reduces spinal load compared to a barbell back squat, and builds strength in the quads, glutes and hips simultaneously. It also improves hip mobility, which tends to decline significantly with age and a desk-based lifestyle.

How to do it: Hold a dumbbell vertically at your chest with both hands. Feet hip-width apart, toes turned out slightly. Sit back and down, keeping your chest proud and your knees tracking over your toes. Drive back up through your heels.

Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.

Why it is essential after 40: It builds the leg and glute strength that supports your knees, protects your lower back, and makes everyday movements — stairs, getting up from a chair, carrying shopping — feel significantly easier.

The Push Exercise: Dumbbell Bench Press

A pressing movement is non-negotiable in any balanced programme. The dumbbell bench press is my preferred push exercise for over-40 clients because dumbbells allow each arm to move independently, reducing shoulder strain compared to a fixed barbell. It builds strength through the chest, shoulders and triceps and is one of the most effective upper body exercises available.

How to do it: Lie flat on a bench holding a dumbbell in each hand at chest height, palms facing forward. Press both dumbbells up until your arms are fully extended. Lower them slowly and under control back to the start position.

Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Why it is essential after 40: Upper body pushing strength is important for functional daily life and for maintaining muscle mass through the chest and shoulders. Dumbbells are gentler on the shoulder joints than a barbell, making this the safest and most effective pressing choice for this age group.

The Pull Exercise: Dumbbell Row

The dumbbell row is essential for counteracting the forward-hunched posture that comes from years of desk work, driving, and looking at screens. Pulling exercises strengthen the muscles of the upper back and rear shoulders, improving posture, reducing neck and shoulder pain, and balancing the strength developed through pressing movements. I include a row variation in almost every session I programme for over-40 clients.

How to do it: Place one hand and the same-side knee on a bench for support. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand, arm hanging straight down. Pull the dumbbell up toward your hip, keeping your elbow close to your body. Lower slowly and under control.

Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side.

Why it is essential after 40: Strong back muscles are the foundation of good posture and a pain-free upper body. The dumbbell row directly counteracts the muscular imbalances that accumulate over decades of desk-based professional life.

The Hinge Exercise: Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian Deadlift — or RDL — is the most important hinge exercise for the over-40 body. It targets the hamstrings, glutes and lower back — the posterior chain that is chronically weak in most adults over 40. A strong posterior chain protects the spine, improves posture, reduces lower back pain, and supports everything else you do in the gym and in daily life. The RDL is lower risk than a conventional deadlift while delivering similar benefits, making it the ideal hinge exercise for this demographic.

How to do it: Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, feet hip-width apart. With a slight bend in the knees and a proud chest, hinge forward from the hips — pushing them back — and lower the dumbbells down the front of your legs until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings. Drive your hips forward to return to standing.

Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Why it is essential after 40: Lower back pain is one of the most common complaints I hear from new clients in their 40s. In the majority of cases, strengthening the posterior chain through exercises like the RDL is the most effective long-term solution.

The Core Exercise: Dead Bug

The dead bug is my go-to core exercise for over-40 clients and one I would choose over sit-ups and crunches every single time. Unlike crunches, which flex and compress the lumbar spine, the dead bug builds deep core stability in a neutral spine position. It develops the type of functional core strength that supports everything else in your programme — without the spinal compression that causes so many problems in this age group.

How to do it: Lie on your back with your arms pointing straight up toward the ceiling and your knees bent at 90 degrees, shins parallel to the floor. Slowly lower your right arm above your head while simultaneously extending your left leg toward the floor. Keep your lower back pressed firmly into the ground throughout. Return to the start and repeat on the other side.

Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 repetitions on each side.

Why it is essential after 40: Core stability — not core strength in the traditional crunch sense — is what the over-40 body actually needs. A stable core protects the spine, improves performance in every other exercise, and reduces the risk of injury both in and out of the gym.

Putting It All Together: A Simple Weekly Structure

These five exercises together form a complete, balanced training session. Here is how to structure them:

• Goblet Squat — 3 sets of 12 repetitions
• Dumbbell Bench Press — 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Dumbbell Row — 3 sets of 10 repetitions each side
• Romanian Deadlift — 3 sets of 10 repetitions
• Dead Bug — 3 sets of 8 repetitions each side

Perform this session two to three times per week on non-consecutive days — for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets. Start with a weight that feels manageable for the first two weeks and increase gradually as your form becomes consistent.

How Long Before You See Results?

With two to three sessions per week and adequate protein intake, most over-40 clients notice improved strength within three to four weeks. Visible changes in body composition typically appear within eight to twelve weeks. The compound nature of these exercises — working multiple muscle groups simultaneously — means you are building the most efficient and effective programme possible for the time you have available.

Get a Personalised Programme at NMG Fitness

The exercises above are an excellent foundation — but the best programme for you is one that is tailored to your specific body, goals, fitness history, and any limitations or injuries you are working around. At NMG Fitness I create fully bespoke training programmes for clients at UNTIL in Soho, Marylebone, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf in London, and for online clients anywhere in the UK and worldwide.

Your first session is completely free — no commitment and no obligation. I would love to show you what the right programme can do for your body after 40.