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.

From fine lines to deep folds, every wrinkle on our skin tells a story. And while years well-lived deserve to be celebrated, not everyone wants to see these visible signs of aging. With today’s advanced skincare practices and strategies, we have more tools than ever to help prevent and treat them effectively.

Wrinkles form as a natural part of the aging process, the result of a combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Genetics and time contribute to our appearance, as do our lifestyle choices and how we take care of our skin.

One of the largest contributors to how our skin changes as we age, however, is that our skin naturally produces less collagen and elastin, two key proteins that keep the skin firm and elastic. People generally start to lose collagen and elastin in their mid-20s at a rate of one to 1.5 percent per year; this eventually leads to skin laxity and creasing.

When we’re in our 20s, enthusiastic social drinking might fit seamlessly alongside fitness routines, jobs, and other obligations. A couple of decades later, the same approach to alcohol might tank our functioning.

That’s because as we age, we process alcohol less efficiently. “Some are surprised by it and find they feel intoxicated by the same amount of alcohol they used to drink [without a problem],” says Pick. But as we get older, we have less muscle mass and body water, she explains, which affects alcohol processing.

The liver’s capacity to break down alcohol decreases with time. Think of a bathtub. When the drain is open, the tub empties easily. As we move on in years, the liver’s drain tends to slow down. “One hypothesis is there’s less blood flow to the liver as we age,” says Haas. “If blood is flowing to the liver at a lower rate, then that drain is also slower.”

There’s also the simple fact that the longer we live, the greater our exposure to various toxins — and the greater their cumulative burden on the liver.

“The more you’re hanging on to those toxins, the more the drain is clogged and metabolism is slowed down,” cautions Haas. “It’s important for everyone to cultivate a detox-­supportive diet and lifestyle, and keeping alcohol consumption moderate is important for that. The less effectively those detox pathways function, the more likely we are to experience ­disease as we age.”