{"id":823469,"date":"2026-07-24T16:58:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T16:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/823469\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T16:58:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T16:58:11","slug":"as-a-73-year-old-coach-strong-legs-are-my-secret-to-ageing-well-these-are-the-4-exercises-i-never-skip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/823469\/","title":{"rendered":"‘As a 73-year-old coach, strong legs are my secret to ageing well \u2013 these are the 4 exercises I never skip’"},"content":{"rendered":"

As well as allowing us to move freely and safely, research suggests that lower-body strength is also associated with significant cognitive benefits. In fact, one oft-cited study<\/a> found that older adults with greater leg strength had 34% lower odds of having low cognitive function than those with weaker legs. <\/p>\n

While the exact mechanisms behind this association remain unclear, among scientists\u2019 hypotheses are that stronger muscles potentially improve blood flow to the brain, that resistance training may influence nervous system function and that lower-body strength can help preserve walking speed and mobility, both of which have been associated with a lower risk of dementia. <\/p>\n

One thing that is clear, however, is that regularly training our lower body is likely to improve our healthspan (the years we spend in good health).<\/p>\n

And by training, we don\u2019t necessarily mean five days a week in the gym. Effective exercises can be done from wherever \u2013 including at home \u2013 as online fitness coach and content creator Pauline Adeleke<\/a> is keen to stress. <\/p>\n

Adeleke, known as Ageless Fitness Lifestyle<\/a> online, regularly posts videos about longevity-focused fitness and how it\u2019s never too late to get started.<\/p>\n

Noting the importance of lower-body strength for both brain and body in a recent video<\/a>, Adeleke shared four bodyweight moves that she recommends for strengthening your legs and staying independent with age. <\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m going to be 74 in August, but I am preparing myself for the next decade of life,\u2019 she says in the video. \u2018Why am I working my legs? Because my legs equal movement. Movement equals independence. Independence equals a wonderful quality of life.\u2019<\/p>\n

The exercises1. Lateral leg extensions \/ alternating leg taps <\/p>\n

\u2018You are benefiting yourself in so many ways with this little simple movement,\u2019 says Adeleke, noting that lateral leg extensions improve both hip strength and brain coordination. <\/p>\n

Indeed, we rarely move laterally (side to side) in everyday life, so it\u2019s important to challenge yourself in this plane of movement when you can. <\/p>\n

How to do it:<\/p>\n

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with a soft bend in your knees.Keeping your core engaged, tap your right leg out to your side \u2013 around two feet away from your body.Repeat the movement with your left leg and continue alternating. <\/p>\n

\u2018The glutes help you with your balance, ladies and gentlemen. The glutes help you to climb up the steps,\u2019 says Adeleke. \u2018If your glutes are weak, your knees are going to be weak, your legs are going to be weak.\u2019<\/p>\n

Her favourite exercise to strengthen them? Donkey kicks, which she does \u2018on the regular\u2019. <\/p>\n

How to do it: <\/p>\n

Get on all fours on a mat (with extra knee support if needed, as Adeleke demonstrates), with your hands stacked directly under shoulders, and knees under hips. Ensure your back is flat (think: balancing a cup of coffee on your lower back), and tuck your chin slightly so the back of your neck is facing the ceiling. Without rounding your spine, engage your lower abdominals.Keeping the 90-degree bend in your right knee, slowly lift your leg straight back and up towards the ceiling. Your max height is right before your back starts to arch, or your hips begin to rotate. Return to the starting position. Repeat all reps on one side, then switch legs.<\/p>\n

Adeleke does 8-10 reps on each leg, followed by pulsing for 10 on each.<\/p>\n

3. Hamstring kicks \/ butt kicks<\/p>\n

\u2018This exercise is strengthening your hamstring muscles which support your thighs,\u2019 notes Adeleke. \u2018It’s a wonderful warm-up. When you get out of the bed in the morning, do it \u2013 you don’t have to go high intensity, go at your own pace.\u2019<\/p>\n

How to do it:<\/p>\n

Stand with your feet just over hip-width apart with a soft bend in your knees.Keeping your core engaged, shift your weight onto one leg and bend the opposite knee, bringing your heel up towards your glutes. Lower that foot back to the floor and immediately repeat on the other side.Continue alternating, keeping your chest lifted and using your arms naturally for balance, swinging them gently as you move. 4. Single-leg glute bridge with leg reach <\/p>\n

\u2018You’re working your glutes and your core, and you are ensuring that pelvic area and your hips are nice and strong,\u2019 says Adeleke of this single-leg glute bridge variation. <\/p>\n

How to do it:<\/p>\n

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and arms by your sides.
Lift your right foot off the floor, keeping the knee bent.Press through the heel of your grounded foot to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your supporting knee.Hold this position as you slide the raised leg in and out (Adeleke recommends 8-12 reps per leg depending on ability).Lower your hips with control and repeat before switching sides.\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. \u00a0She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. \u00a0A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As well as allowing us to move freely and safely, research suggests that lower-body strength is also associated…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":823470,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[49,48,184035,181853,181517,4671,288045,784,407,84,237154,783,288044,273948,184085],"class_list":["post-823469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-collection-fit-at-70-and-beyond","tag-collection-fit-at-any-age","tag-collection-fitness-app","tag-content-type-default","tag-contentid-1796554b-f885-43bc-a3d7-ba64f6aab461","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-73-year-old-coach-shares-her-go-to-leg-exercises","tag-sponsored-false","tag-subsection-strength-training"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=823469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823469\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/823470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=823469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=823469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=823469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}