As Suzi Jalowsky can confirm, the most effective fitness routine is the one you can stick to long term and fit sustainably into your lifestyle.
The 60-year-old coach takes a simple approach to exercise, favouring tried-and-tested strength routines that require little more than a pair of dumbbells – or even just her bodyweight – over complicated, ever-changing workouts.
Recently, she shared the 30-minute session that forms a key part of her training routine.
‘Full-body strength days are my non-negotiable. This is my 30-minute strength workout that I do three days a week,’ Suzi said. ‘Simple, effective, and it works.’
She then revealed that the rest of her weekly routine is just as fuss-free.
‘Add in a daily walk and you’ve got a routine that keeps you strong, mobile and feeling good in your body. Nothing extreme. Nothing fancy. Just consistency,’ she continued.
‘This is what 60 looks like when you show up consistently,’ agrees Daniel Booth, high-performance coach and consultant, and co-founder of MyoLab Performance Concierge.
‘Her session is a full-body strength workout hitting every major muscle group: pressing, pulling, squatting and rotating – with moves like the Cossack squat and knee thrusts adding the kind of mobility work that keeps you moving well for years.’
‘Meanwhile, Suzi’s overall routine of strength training and walking is a smart, repeatable approach that anyone over 60 can follow. It builds real strength and helps keep your body feeling capable in later life.’
Suzi’s 30-minute, 11-move full-body workout
Do 3 sets of 10 reps of each movement.
1. Single-arm bicep curl
Start kneeling on one side, holding a dumbbell in the hand resting on the raised knee. Rotate your hand so your palm faces forwards.Engage your core to avoid swaying through the hips, then bend your arm and lift the weight to chest height in a slow, controlled movement.Keep your shoulders relaxed and down, and maintain a neutral head, neck and spine position.Slowly lower the weight back down to your thigh by straightening your arm.
Instagram | Suzi Jalowsky
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold the dumbbells above your chest with your arms straight and palms facing your feet.Bend your elbows and lower your upper arms until they touch the ground, forming a 45º angle with your body.Keep your forearms vertical throughout the movement.Press the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
Instagram | Suzi Jalowsky
Start on your hands and knees, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.Create a straight line from your head to your knees and brace your core.Bend your elbows and lower your chest until it’s just above the floor, or as low as you can comfortably go.Push back up until your arms are straight.4. Single-arm gorilla row
Instagram | Suzi Jalowsky
Place one dumbbell upright in front of you and hold the other in one hand.Position your feet roughly twice shoulder-width apart.Hinge at the hips with a slight bend in your knees and rest your free hand on the upright dumbbell.Row the dumbbell towards your ribs, then lower it back down with control.5. Dumbbell squat
Instagram | Suzi Jalowsky
Hold two dumbbells by your sides.Bend your knees and lower into a squat until they reach roughly 90º.Keep your core braced and your back straight throughout.Drive back up to standing.
Instagram | Suzi Jalowsky
Set up in a split stance with one foot forward and one foot back.Hold a pair of dumbbells by your sides.Lower yourself until your back knee is just above the floor.Drive through the heel of your front foot to stand back up.7. Standing cross-body toe touches
Instagram | Suzi Jalowsky
Stand tall with your feet 2–3 times wider than shoulder-width apart.Bend your left knee and reach your right hand towards your left foot.Drive back up to standing.Repeat on the opposite side.
Instagram | Suzi Jalowsky
Stand with your feet 2–3 times wider than shoulder-width apart and turned out at roughly 30º.Shift your weight over your right leg, pushing your hips back and bending your right knee.Lower into a deep side squat while keeping your left leg straight.Drive through your right foot to return to standing, then repeat on the other side.9. Knee thrust
Instagram | Suzi Jalowsky
Start in a shortened lunge, with your front leg bent and your back leg extended behind you.Raise your arms overhead and lean forwards so your torso is in line with your back leg.Rapidly drive your back knee and arms towards your chest.Add a small hop on the front leg, then return to the start position.10. Oblique twist
Instagram | Suzi Jalowsky
Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell with one head in each hand.Keep a slight bend in your knees.Rotate your torso to bring the dumbbell towards your right hip.Reverse the movement and rotate towards your left hip.11. Oblique crunch
Instagram | Suzi Jalowsky
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands behind your head.Lift your left knee towards your chest while rotating your torso to bring your right elbow towards it.Return to the start position.Repeat on the opposite side.
One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.
