Aging well includes your ability to move with confidence, maintain independence, and avoid injuries and pain. At the center of your body’s ability to do all these things, quite literally, is your core.

“Your core is so much more than just ‘abs,’” says Kelly Hegarty, CPT, Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time in St. Paul, Minn., with more than 20 years of experience. “The core forms the foundation for nearly every movement we make, and encompasses the muscles of the spine, pelvis, hip joints, and abdomen. These muscles work together to stabilize the trunk, maintain posture, and transfer force between the upper and lower body during just about any movement.

“As we age, core strength becomes even more important as weakness in these muscles can lead to poor posture, back pain, difficulty moving, and increased fall risk,” she adds. “A strong core helps keep the body upright, resilient, and functional. Most importantly, a strong, stable core allows you to safely enjoy the activities you love — like gardening, traveling, or playing with grandchildren — while reducing the fear of falls or injuries.”

To help you keep this entire muscle group strong, Hegarty created the following core-training workout that you can add to your exercise rotation.

“Older adults can benefit from two to four sessions per week of focused core training, in addition to general exercise like walking and strength training,” she says. “These sessions can be short and integrated into your regular workouts — just 10 minutes of targeted core work can make a huge difference.”

1. Glute Bridge

“Although this move primarily focuses on the glutes, strengthening these muscles supports pelvic alignment while also engaging your lower back and abdominals to stabilize your trunk,” Hegarty explains.

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip width apart on the floor.
• Press through your heels to lift your hips until your shoulders, hips, and knees form a straight line.
• Squeeze your glutes as you lift, then lower slowly.
• Throughout the movement, draw your belly button in and keep your spine in a neutral position (don’t arch to achieve a higher bridge).
• Repeat for 12 to 20 reps.

Note: To progress, hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at the hip with your hands or try a single-leg variation.

2. Bird-Dog

“This exercise is great for cross-body stability — it builds strength in the lower back while engaging your abs and glutes,” says Hegarty. “It also allows you to work on balance and body control in a safe, low-impact position.”

• Start on all fours in a quadruped position with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Extend one arm forward as you send the opposite leg back (for example, bring your right arm forward and left leg back). Keep your hips level and core tight as you avoid arching your back.
• Hold briefly, then switch sides (bring your left arm forward as you bring your right leg back) while keeping your spine neutral and moving your pelvis as little as possible.
• Repeat for 8 to 12 reps on each side.

3. Incline Plank

“This exercise helps build deep abdominal strength while also engaging your shoulders, glutes, and back for full-body stability,” says Hegarty. “Plus, it supports spinal alignment and posture.”

• Stand and face a knee-height bench, box, or chair.
• Place your hands on the edge of the surface, about shoulder width apart. Keeping your shoulders directly over your wrists and arms straight, walk your feet back until you form a straight line from your head to your shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles.
• Keep your lower back flat, engage your core, and pull your shoulders away from your ears.
• Hold this position for one set of 20 seconds to one minute, making sure not to pike or sink your hips.

Note: As you get stronger, you can slowly lower the inclined surface until you reach the floor to do a traditional plank with proper form.

4. Side Plank

“This move targets the obliques, which stabilize the spine and hips and are often neglected in traditional core work,” Hegarty says. “Strengthening these muscles helps build a solid foundation for daily activities like bending, twisting, and carrying.”

• Lie on one side with your forearm on the floor directly under your shoulder and feet stacked on top of each other.
• Keep your bottom knee down as you lift your hips off the floor so your body forms a straight line.
• Hold for one set of 20 seconds to one minute, keeping your core tight, belly button drawn in, and hips lifted.

Note: To make this more challenging, lift your bottom knee off the ground and hold both legs in a straight line. To make it even more challenging, raise your top foot three inches as you hold your plank.

5. Pallof Press

“The Palloff press is a powerful anti-rotation exercise, meaning it teaches the core to resist twisting and builds functional stability for everyday carrying, pushing, lifting,” Hegarty says.

• Anchor a resistance band (or a D handle if using a cable machine) at shoulder height and stand with your left shoulder pointed toward the anchor point and feet at least shoulder width apart.
• Grasp the band with both hands at chest level and step far enough from the anchor point to create light tension on the band.
• Brace your core and then press the band straight away from your chest until your arms are fully extended. With control, return the band to your chest.
• Repeat for 12 to 20 reps.
• Turn your body so your right side is facing the anchor point and repeat for 12 to 20 reps.

6. Dead Bug

“This exercise strengthens the transversus abdominis and engages and builds endurance in your deep spinal stabilizer muscles,” says Hegarty. “It’s great for motor control and overall coordination.”

• Lie on your back and extend your arms and legs into the air: Your arms will be straight over your chest; your knees will be bent at about 90 degrees.
• Keep your head on the floor with your neck in a neutral position.
• Engage your core, drawing your ribs down and pressing your lower back into the floor. Extend one leg to straighten it while dropping the opposite-side arm overhead. Reverse and repeat on the opposite side.
• Actively flex your feet throughout the movement. Do not lower your heels all the way to the floor. Extend and lower your legs only as far as possible without arching your lower back.
• Alternate sides, drawing your knee in only to hip level, not all the way to your chest.
• Repeat for 8 to 12 reps on each side.

Note: To make this more challenging, start with your knees a few inches farther from your chest. To make it less challenging, bring your knees closer to your chest and/or reduce the range of motion of your arms and legs.

As we age, we naturally lose muscle and some bone density, both of which are critical for avoiding injury and keeping our bodies strong and functioning well. Most of us are aware of the power of resistance training as a protective measure — but how about the added advantage of taking your strength efforts to a vibration plate?

“Regular activity and strength training is critical for living a long, healthy life,” says Jeromy Darling, Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time Highland Park in St. Paul, Minn. “To combat and overcome many of the health challenges that come with age-related bone and muscle loss, I highly recommend including training on a vibration plate as part of a healthy-aging routine.”

A vibration plate is a vibrating platform that moves in three directions: up and down, side to side, and front to back. The harmonic vibrations move between 25 to 50 times per second, resulting in corresponding muscle activation.

“Interestingly, astronauts who spend any time in zero-gravity space face a similar problem as aging bodies with shrinking muscles and bones,” Darling explains. “This is why NASA, in the early 90s, implemented regular whole-body vibration (WBV) therapy for all its astronauts to help repair and restore their muscles and bones. The results were so stunning that colleges began using the technology to enhance recovery and performance for their athletes.”

Why Perform Vibration Plate Exercises?

Exercising on a vibration plate can engage more muscle fibers than performing the same workout on a stable surface, according to Darling. The vibrating surface forces your body to fight against regular gravity and vibrations, causing this increased activation — along with other benefits. “These vibrations can also enhance circulation, support muscle recovery, [and greater calorie burn].”

How Often Should I Do Vibration Plate Exercises?

Darling recommends using the vibration plate every day, if you can, noting that using it for 10 to 15 minutes is a good starting point. “Consistent use can yield tremendous results for weight loss, muscle gain, and recovery,” he shares. “It can also benefit our proprioception — the body’s ability to sense its own position — which enables us to be aware of our movements and actions and maintain better balance and coordination.”

If you’re not able to use the vibration plate daily, Darling says that even using it two to three times per week can be helpful.

8 Vibration Plate Exercises

Here, Darling demonstrates eight moves you can add to your routine using the Power Plate (vibration plate).

For those who are new to this piece of equipment, start on a low setting — think, level one or two, or vibration level 30 to 35 low. Remember to keep your joints in an active position throughout the exercise.

1. Bicep Curls

• Turn on the Power Plate machine to desired setting.
• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Hold one dumbbell in each hand with arms at your sides and palms facing forward.
• Keeping your upper arms stable and tight to your torso, bend your elbows and raise the weights to your shoulders.
• Reverse the movement with control to lower the weights.
• Repeat for three sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds of rest between each set.

2. Shoulder Press

• Turn on the Power Plate machine to desired setting.
• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells near your shoulders with your palms forward.
• Press both dumbbells straight overhead while keeping your feet grounded. Activate your abdominal muscles to maintain neutral posture and lower-spine stability.
• Reverse the movement with control.
• Repeat for three sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds of rest between each set.

3. Squats

• Turn on the Power Plate machine to desired setting.
• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees and lower into a squat position.
• Stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
• Repeat for three sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds of rest between each set.

4. Calf Raises

• Turn on the Power Plate machine to desired setting.
• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Shift your weight to the balls of your feet, lifting your heels off the surface. Rise up onto your tiptoes, going as high as possible.
• Lower back down to the starting position.
• Continue to move straight up and down without letting your body sway.
• Repeat for three sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds of rest between each set.

5. Toe Taps

• Turn on the Power Plate machine to desired setting.
• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Extend your right leg behind you as you bend your left leg just enough to touch your right hand to your left foot.
• Return to the standing position.
• Complete for 10 reps total, then repeat on the left side.
• Repeat for three sets on each side, with 30 seconds of rest between each set.

6. Single-Leg Half Squat

• Turn on the Power Plate machine to desired setting.
• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Holding onto the bar of the Power Plate with your right hand for balance, extend your right leg behind you, bearing your weight on your left foot to lower into a half-squat.
• Return to standing position, keeping your back leg bent until you reach the top.
• Complete 10 reps total, then repeat on the left side.
• Repeat for three sets on each side, with 30 seconds of rest between each set.

7. Plank

• Turn on the Power Plate machine to desired setting.
• Place your palms and forearms flat on the platform with your legs extended behind you and back flat in a plank position.
• Hold for three sets of 30 seconds with 15 seconds reset between each set.

8. Pushups

• Turn on the Power Plate machine to desired setting.
• Place your palms flat on the platform with your legs extended behind you in a high-plank position.
• Slowly lower down into a pushup position until your chest almost touches the Power Plate platform.
• Slowly raise back up into a high-plank position.
• Repeat for three sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds of rest between each set.

Weeks 1 to 3: Prepare  •  Weeks 4 to 20: Progress & Practice

If you lift weights regularly, you’ve probably heard the advice “Keep your heels down.” Keeping your feet flat on the ground — with your weight evenly distributed between your heels and the balls of your feet — is considered by many to be the safest and most efficient stance. This form activates more muscle and allows you to lift more weight.

There are times when this rule is worth following. “When the load is up and strength and power demands are up, it makes sense to keep your feet flat,” says John Rusin, DPT, a strength-and-conditioning coach, injury-prevention specialist, and founder of the Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification program. In other words, when you’re pulling or pushing big weights, keep both feet flat on the floor.

The rest of the time, however, consider another useful option: training with a “floating heel.”

Trainers have recently begun to recognize the huge benefits of performing lower-body movements with your weight shifted onto the balls of your feet and your heels slightly lifted.

Practicing this position prepares you for similar challenges outside the gym, says Rusin. “Very rarely does anything happen with your heels on the ground.”

Nearly all athletic movements — including jumping, running, and walking — require you to support your entire weight on the balls of your feet, and often the ball of just one foot, at least for brief periods. In theory, strength training with a floating heel can improve your stability in any activity requiring a heels-up position, leading to greater power and speed on the track, court, or trail.

It’ll also toughen the tissues of your feet and lower legs, reducing the likelihood of a twisted ankle, an Achilles tear, or another injury to your foot, shin, or knee.

“Your knee travels farther forward when you float your heel,” Rusin points out. It’s a change that emphasizes the quads — the muscles that straighten your knee and help protect the joint from injury.

Floating-heel training also offers ­variety — something that keeps your muscles growing and your mind ­engaged — without requiring you to learn an entirely new exercise. It’s a simple tweak to moves you might already know.

Rusin recommends the following progression to incorporate a heels-up element into your routine.

The Workout

WEEKS 1 TO 3: PREPARE

Perform the following two moves two or three times per week for three weeks. Incorporate them into your warm-up or wherever it makes sense in your routine.

1) Floating-Heel Balance With Toe Smash

Perform two sets of 15 seconds per foot.

2) Standing One-Legged Calf Raise

Perform two or three sets of 15 to 20 reps per leg.

WEEKS 4 TO 20: PROGRESS & PRACTICE

After the initial three weeks of preparatory training, progress through the next four moves one at a time, spending four weeks — yes, four weeks — practicing each exercise. This is an intentionally gradual progression: Patiently building up your strength and balance over time will keep you safe and enhance your efforts.

For each movement, perform three sets of the exercise every time you train your lower body, substituting the move for any conventional lower-body move you’re already doing. (The exceptions are heavy squats and deadlifts; keep your heels on the floor for those moves.)

Each week, attempt to increase the weight, reps, or both without compromising form. Every four weeks, move to the next exercise on the list. Work your way through the progression in this manner.

3) Landmine Floating-Heel Goblet Squat

Perform three sets of 12 to 15 reps.

4) Floating-Heel Split Squat

Perform three sets of 12 to 15 reps per leg.

5) Floating-Heel Step-Up With Knee Raise

Perform three sets of 12 to 15 reps per leg.

6) Floating-Heel Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat

Perform three sets of 12 to 15 reps per leg.

This article originally appeared as “Heels Up” in the September/October 2025 issue of Experience Life.

If you’re experiencing pelvic-floor issues, try the following routine designed by chiropractor Mamak Shakib, DC, who focuses on stabilizing the pelvis when treating patients with pelvic-floor dysfunction.

These moves progressively build stability in different parts of your body. Shakib notes that performing each move with optimal form and maintaining awareness of the pelvic floor is more important than the number of repetitions or the duration of each exercise.

Neutral Spine

Focus throughout the movement on proper mechanics and execution.*

Toe Tap

Focus throughout the movement on proper mechanics and execution.*

Side Roll-Up

Focus throughout the movement on proper mechanics and execution.*

Seated Hip Mobility

Focus throughout the movement on proper mechanics and execution.*

Rocking Bear

Focus throughout the movement on proper mechanics and execution.*

Spider

Focus throughout the movement on proper mechanics and execution.*

*Performing each move with optimal form and maintaining awareness of the pelvic floor is more important than the number of repetitions or the duration of each exercise.

Instructions

This E2MOM variation calls for starting a new movement every two minutes instead of every minute. At the top of every two minutes, complete the prescribed movement for the total number of reps. Use any time remaining in each two-minute block to recover and move to the next station. Complete five total rounds.

Divide the reps and distances between partners to enable constant movement for the duration of the workout. When one is working, the other rests. (For instance, you might switch off every 20 lunges, every five burpees, every 10 thrusters, or every 250 meters of a run.) Note how long it takes to complete the workout.

⊖ When one partner is working, the other rests. (For instance, you might switch off every 20 lunges, every five burpees, etc.)
⊕ Note how long it takes to complete the workout.

Navigate directly to The Workout

When it comes to butt muscles, the large, powerful gluteus maximus tends to sit in the spotlight. But two other glute muscles play an equally important role in daily movement, athletic performance, and muscle development for aesthetic purposes: the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.

Located on the side or outside of the hip, the glutes med and min are collectively known as the side butt. “They work together in stabilizing the pelvis and hip joint,” explains Mathew Forzaglia, a certified personal trainer in New York City and founder of Forzag Fitness. “They also aid in controlling the lower extremities during movements like walking and running.”

This means your side-butt muscles are active during practically every movement. Anytime you stand, walk, run, or balance on one leg, your glutes med and min fire to create both stability and alignment in your hips and lower body.

“A strong gluteus medius and minimus helps prevent the pelvis from dropping on the opposite side [of the leg that is currently supporting the weight], which can reduce the risk of injury and improve overall balance,” says Jasmine de LaCruz, Life Time studio education specialist and master trainer.

If the side-butt muscles aren’t strong enough to stabilize the pelvis while you’re walking or running, your lower back, hips, and knees will take on added stress. “By strengthening these muscles, we can help prevent lower-body injuries, knee pain, lower-back pain, and hip issues,” says de LaCruz.

Because these muscles are significantly smaller than the gluteus maximus and are often under-utilized, body-weight and lightly banded variations of hip-centric exercises, like clamshells, side-lying leg raises, and side planks, can be a great starting point for many people. That’s especially true when these exercises are paired with compound, lower-body strength moves like hip thrusts and split squats.

Building strength requires progressively overloading the muscles; in other words, we need to challenge the muscles to change them. Big muscles like big weights, so don’t be afraid to grab those heavier dumbbells as your ever-strengthening muscles continue to adapt over time.

The following progressive routine, designed by de LaCruz, is adaptable and scalable — just like your glutes.

The Workout

To build strength in your glute med and glute min, do the following four-move routine once or twice weekly, with at least 24 hours between sessions to give your glutes adequate recovery time. De LaCruz suggests doing these moves as part of a longer strength workout, before a cardio workout, or simply on their own.

• Do three to five sets of eight to 12 reps per side on each move, resting 60 seconds between sets.
• Make the effort challenging without sacrificing form.
• Complete all the sets of one exercise before moving to the next.

Fire Hydrant

Getting on all fours enables you to home in on the glute med and glute min. Begin with body weight only. Progress the move by adding a mini band.

Perform three to five sets of eight to 12 reps, then switch sides.
Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Lateral Walk

This move targets the glute med and glute min muscles while you sidestep, helping improve hip and knee stability. Begin by using a mini band for resistance. Progress the move by dragging a weighted sled.

Perform three to five sets of eight to 12 steps in one direction, then reverse direction.
Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Curtsy Lunge

Most lunge variations rely primarily on the glute max. With this variation, you’ll use the side-butt muscles to return to standing. Increase the challenge by holding weights and adding a deficit to increase your range of motion.

Perform three to five sets of eight to 12 reps, then switch sides.
Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Standing Hip Abduction

Standing leg lifts allow you to focus on activating and strengthening the glutes med and min with the added resistance of a band or weight. If you have access to a rotary hip machine, use it to challenge yourself with even heavier weights.

Perform three to five sets of eight to 12 reps, then switch sides.
Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Instructions

This is an every-minute-on-the-minute (EMOM) workout, meaning you change movements at the top of each minute. Perform each exercise continuously for 60 seconds before moving on to the next. Continue rotating through the four moves for 28 minutes, aiming to maintain a steady pace throughout.

Navigate directly to the Workout Overview

There’s no shortage of incredible and life-changing reasons to strength train. Studies suggest muscular strength provides measurable protection against heart disease, cancer, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Resistance training can stave off age-related muscle loss, balance hormones, enhance mobility, and boost cognitive function. The process of building strength can transform us physically, mentally, and emotionally.

But sometimes a person just wants a good booty pump. That is to say, there are days when I simply crave that temporary increase in muscle size — caused by increased blood flow and swelling — brought on by an intense workout.

What’s so great about a muscle pump? Purely from an aesthetic point of view, I like the look of having muscles that “pop.” And whether it’s my biceps or my delts, my quads or my glutes, the feeling of having slightly bigger muscles — even just for a couple of hours — is a confidence boost. I find that I walk a little taller and with more pep in my step.

Beyond this immediate gratification, the pump can also be a sign that I’ve worked out with enough volume and intensity to stimulate muscle growth.

You don’t have to chase a pump to get stronger, though. The pump can be an incidental aspect of your lifting life, a bonus benefit that arises from time to time.

But if you like the look and feel of a pump, don’t be afraid to get after it as part of a progressive, full-body lifting program. In the long run, these muscular adaptations can pay dividends in your health and quality of life.

Workout Overview

A 10-Minute EMOM: Glute Focus

After a dynamic warm-up, grab a set of heavy dumbbells and set a timer for 10 minutes. Every minute on the minute (EMOM), complete seven reps of either deadlifts or sumo squats.

1. Perform the dumbbell deadlift reps at the start of every even minute (0:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00).
2. And do the dumbbell sumo squat reps at the start of each odd minute (1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00).
3. Rest for the remainder of each minute.

A note on weight selection: Choose weights that are heavy. The exact poundage will vary from person to person; select dumbbells that are heavy enough to make each set of seven reps challenging, without compromising your form. Whether you choose 20s or 50s, aim to maintain an intensity that safely approaches your capacity. This helps achieve a muscle pump while offering an appropriate stimulus to strengthen your muscles.

Dumbbell Deadlifts

Perform 7 reps at the start of every even minute (0:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00).
Rest for the remainder of each minute.

Dumbbell Sumo Squats

Perform 7 reps at the start of each odd minute (1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00.
Rest for the remainder of each minute.