What is the best exercise for women over 60?
The best exercise for women over 60 is strength training, done two to four times a week and made gradually harder, plus daily walking. Strength training builds the lean muscle that keeps you capable for stairs, travel, gardening and getting up from the floor. Mavy Wellness coaches women over 60 to train this way, at home or in a gym, alongside whole food plant based nutrition.
A balanced week:
Strength training, 2 to 4 days: squats or sit to stands, lunges or step ups, push ups (against a counter to start), rows, presses, carries and core work.
Walking, most days: easy on the joints and great for energy.
Balance and mobility, a few minutes daily: standing on one leg near a counter, gentle stretching.
Something you love: pickleball, swimming, hiking, dancing. Enjoyment is what keeps you going.
Many women over 60 are already active but have never followed a strength plan, so their bodies stop changing. Adding structured strength work is usually the missing piece. One Mavy member, 65, who hated exercise, lost more than 20 pounds, now trains four times a week and takes the stairs without getting breathless.
If you have joint concerns or a health condition, check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.
What the research says. The World Health Organization recommends muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days a week for adults, including adults over 65. [1] A 2019 analysis from the large SWAN study of midlife women found that during the menopause transition, fat gain speeds up while lean mass starts to decline, even when the scale barely moves. [2]
Watch on the Forever Fit Podcast: Chest Fly Tutorial for Women 60+: Improve Upper Body Strength Safely
"After decades of working with thousands of clients, I can say with confidence that Maxime is the real deal."
Julieanna Hever Risse, MS, RD, The Healthspan Dietitian, Author, on Forever Fit
To have a Mavy coach build your week, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (2020); summary in Bull FC et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine 54:1451-1462. https://www.who.int/initiatives/behealthy/physical-activity
Greendale GA et al. (2019). Changes in body composition and weight during the menopause transition. JCI Insight 4(5):e124865. https://insight.jci.org/articles/view/124865
About the author. Maxime Sigouin is the founder of Mavy Wellness (formerly FitVegan Coaching) and the author of Forever Fit, a book endorsed by physicians including Neal D. Barnard, MD, Laurie Marbas, MD, and James F. Loomis, MD. He has coached for more than six and a half years and, with his team, has coached nearly 1,300 adults over 50 on a whole food plant based diet. He hosts the Forever Fit Podcast, with more than 450 episodes.
Last updated: October 19, 2026. This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise or nutrition program.
