Feel stronger fast after 60, try these 5 safe seated moves you can do at home today.
Building strength after 60 can feel like an uphill battle—but it doesn’t have to be. After four decades in the fitness industry, first as a group exercise instructor, then a personal trainer, and now running TRAINFITNESS, the UK’s leading educator of fitness professionals, there are few things that frustrate me more than people perpetuating the belief that old people cannot get fitter and stronger. A belief that often dooms an older adult to a shorter and less vibrant life. As we get older, it is harder to get and stay fit and strong—but it’s far from impossible and with the right guidance and hard work, anyone can see significant improvements. Here are the seated exercises that can help you build real upper body strength without stepping foot in a gym.
The Challenges You Face After 60
After 60, balance doesn’t feel anywhere near as stable as when we were younger. Standing exercises that require holding weights or performing movements can feel really unstable. Our proprioception (our body’s ability to sense where it is in space) has declined, which makes us more hesitant or causes us to compensate in ways that can reduce the effectiveness of exercises and increase the risk of injury.
One of the main joints that loses mobility with age is the shoulders. After decades of poor posture, repetitive movements and natural changes in the joints themselves, our shoulders don’t move through their full range—making traditional overhead presses or wide-arm movements uncomfortable (and sometimes impossible). A lot of people compensate for this with excessive back-arching, which causes more problems than it solves.
Recovery takes a lot longer. Younger people might train upper body twice a week with no issues, but once you’re over 60 you often need three or four days between sessions for the same muscle groups. Push too hard too soon, and you’ll be sore for a week, which ruins consistency—which is by far the most important thing.
Existing injuries make everything more complicated. Issues with your rotator cuffs, arthritis, previous shoulder dislocations, tennis elbow—none of these are uncommon after 60. Traditional exercises can just make these worse. You need movements that build strength while working with your limitations.
Your grip strength will have declined more than you realise. Holding dumbbells or resistance bands for multiple sets becomes the limiting factor rather than the muscles you are trying to work. Your forearms and hands give out before your chest, back, or shoulders get a proper workout.
As most people over 60 haven’t trained for years, their confidence is low. Gyms feel intimidating and free weights seem dangerous. This is a psychological barrier which stops a lot of people from even starting, meaning they just get weaker.
Why Seated Exercises Work Better
When you’re sitting down, it completely removes balance concerns, allowing you to focus entirely on the muscles you’re working instead of worrying about staying upright—letting you use better form and push harder, which in turn builds more strength.
Your core doesn’t have to work as hard to stabilise you when seated. This might sound like a disadvantage, but it actually means you can direct more energy to your upper body. Standing exercises often fail because your core gives out before your arms, shoulders or back get properly worked.
Blood pressure stays more stable in seated positions. Standing exercises can cause blood pressure spikes or drops that make you feel dizzy or lightheaded, especially if you’re on blood pressure medication. Seated work reduces this risk dramatically.
Seated exercises are easier to modify on the fly. If something feels wrong, you can stop immediately without worrying about dropping weights or losing balance. This safety net encourages you to actually push yourself rather than being overly cautious.
The learning curve is gentler. Seated movements are simpler to master than complex standing exercises with dumbbells. You get the technique right faster, which means you start seeing results sooner. Success builds confidence, which keeps you training.
Seated positions often provide back support. For people with lower back issues, this support makes the difference between being able to train or not. You can work your upper body hard without aggravating your back.
The 5 Best Seated Exercises for Upper Body Strength
Seated Chest Press (with resistance band)
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This movement builds chest, shoulder and tricep strength without the shoulder strain of traditional bench presses. The resistance band provides constant tension throughout the entire movement, which is easier on joints than the sudden load of dumbbells. Being seated with back support protects your spine.
How to do it:
- Wrap a resistance band around the back of a sturdy chair at mid-chest height
- Sit tall with your back against the chair, feet flat on the floor
- Hold one end of the band in each hand at chest level, elbows bent
- Press both hands forward until your arms are almost straight, but keep a slight bend in your elbows
- Slowly bring your hands back to your chest. That’s one rep.
- Do 10-12 reps, rest 60 seconds, repeat for 3 sets
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Don’t arch your back off the chair to generate momentum. Use your chest muscles instead.
- Don’t lock your elbows completely at full extension. This puts unnecessary stress on the joint.
- Keep your shoulders pulled back and down. Don’t let them roll forward.
- Don’t move too quickly on the return phase. The slow lowering builds just as much strength as the pressing.
Seated Row (with resistance band or towel)
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Rows strengthen your upper back, rear shoulders and biceps—all the muscles that deteriorate from years of slouching forward. This exercise directly counteracts poor posture and makes daily activities like lifting groceries or pulling doors open easier. The pulling motion is natural and feels safer than pushing movements for most people.
How to do it:
- Sit on the edge of a chair with feet flat on the floor
- Loop a resistance band around the balls of your feet, holding one end in each hand (if you don’t have a band, loop a towel around your feet instead)
- Sit tall with arms extended straight out in front
- Pull both hands back toward your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together
- Your elbows should stay close to your body
- Hold for one second, then slowly extend your arms forward again
- Do 10-12 reps, rest 60 seconds, repeat for 3 sets
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Don’t round your back. Sit tall throughout the movement.
- Don’t pull with your arms first. Initiate the movement by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Don’t let your shoulders hunch up toward your ears. Keep them down and relaxed.
- Don’t jerk the band or towel. Move with control.
Seated Overhead Press (with water bottles or light dumbbells)
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This movement builds shoulder strength and improves your ability to reach overhead—something many people over 60 struggle with. Strong shoulders make everyday tasks like putting dishes away or reaching high shelves significantly easier. The seated position lets you press overhead without worrying about balance.
How to do it:
- Sit tall in a chair with feet flat on the floor
- Hold a water bottle or light dumbbell (1-3 pounds) in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing forward
- Press both weights straight up overhead until your arms are almost fully extended
- Lower the weights back to shoulder height with control
- Do 8-10 reps, rest 60 seconds, repeat for 3 sets
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Don’t arch your lower back excessively as you press. Keep your core engaged and back relatively neutral.
- Don’t press the weights forward. Press them straight up to avoid straining your shoulders.
- Don’t shrug your shoulders up toward your ears at the top of the movement.
- Don’t move the weights on different paths or at different speeds. They should move in sync.
Seated Bicep Curls (with resistance band or household items)
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Strong biceps make carrying shopping bags, lifting grandchildren and pulling yourself up from chairs easier. This isolation exercise is simple to learn and feels safe for beginners. The seated position prevents using momentum from your legs or back, which means your biceps do all the work.
How to do it:
- Sit tall in a chair with feet flat on the floor
- Step on the middle of a resistance band with both feet, holding one end in each hand with arms hanging straight down, palms facing forward
- Keeping your elbows pinned to your sides, curl both hands up toward your shoulders
- Squeeze at the top for one second, then lower with control
- Do 10-12 reps, rest 60 seconds, repeat for 3 sets
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Don’t swing your upper body backward to help lift the weight. Your torso should stay still.
- Don’t let your elbows drift forward or out to the sides. Keep them glued to your ribs.
- Don’t drop the weight quickly on the way down. Lower it slowly.
- Fully extend your arms at the bottom of each rep. Shortening the movement reduces the range of motion and effectiveness.
Seated Lateral Raises (with light weights or household items)
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This exercise targets the side deltoids—the muscles that give your shoulders shape and strength for lifting things out to the side. These muscles rarely get worked in daily life, which is why they weaken significantly with age. Strengthening them improves your ability to carry bags, hold grandchildren and reach sideways.
How to do it:
- Sit tall in a chair with feet flat on the floor
- Hold a water bottle or tin of food in each hand, arms hanging straight down at your sides with palms facing inward
- Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, raise both arms out to the sides until they reach shoulder height
- Your body should form a T shape
- Lower slowly back to the starting position
- Do 8-10 reps, rest 60 seconds, repeat for 3 sets
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Don’t raise the weights above shoulder height. Going higher puts unnecessary stress on the joint.
- Don’t use momentum by swinging the weights up. Lift with control.
- Don’t shrug your shoulders up as you raise your arms.
- Don’t bend your elbows too much. This turns it into a different exercise.
- Don’t lean to one side or the other to help lift the weights.
How Often You Should Train
Train your upper body twice per week with at least two full days of rest between sessions. This gives your muscles adequate time to recover and get stronger. Training more frequently at this age usually leads to persistent soreness and declining performance rather than faster progress.
Each session should take 20-30 minutes including a brief warm-up. That’s enough volume to stimulate strength gains without exhausting you. Longer sessions compromise form and increase injury risk, especially when you’re starting out.
Warm up for 5 minutes before starting the exercises. March in place, do arm circles in both directions, open and close your hands repeatedly. This gets blood flowing to the muscles and loosens up stiff joints. Never skip the warm-up, even if you feel fine.
Do the exercises in the order listed. Start with the biggest movements (chest press and rows) when you’re fresh, then move to the smaller isolation exercises (curls and lateral raises) at the end. This ensures you maintain good form on the most important exercises.
Progress gradually. Add one or two reps per set each week, or increase resistance slightly every two weeks. Small, consistent improvements add up to significant strength gains over months. Trying to progress too quickly leads to injury and setbacks.
What Results You Can Expect
Week one feels challenging but manageable. Your muscles will be sore for a couple of days after each session. This is normal. The exercises might feel awkward at first as your nervous system learns the movement patterns. Don’t worry about how much weight you’re lifting yet.
By weeks 2-3, the movements start feeling natural. Soreness after sessions becomes less intense. You’ll notice you can do more reps with the same resistance, or the same reps feel easier. Daily activities like lifting the kettle or reaching into overhead cupboards become slightly less challenging.
In week 4, you’ll see real improvements. Expect to be using 20-30% more resistance or doing 3-4 more reps per set than when you started. Your posture improves noticeably. You’ll naturally sit and stand taller without thinking about it. Aches in your upper back and shoulders from poor posture often decrease or disappear.
By week 6, the changes become obvious. Your shoulders look more defined. Your upper arms have more shape. Clothes fit differently across your chest and shoulders. Tasks like carrying shopping, lifting grandchildren or opening jars require noticeably less effort. You feel more capable and confident in your body.
Strength gains happen faster than visible muscle growth at this age. You’ll feel significantly stronger before you see dramatic changes in the mirror. The functional improvements—easier daily activities, better posture, reduced pain—often matter more than aesthetics anyway.
Consistency determines everything. Missing sessions erases progress quickly. Two sessions every week without fail beats three sessions one week followed by none the next.
Safety Tips You Need to Know
Sharp pain anywhere means stop immediately. Dull muscle burn is normal and expected. Sharp, stabbing or shooting pain in joints or specific spots is not. If you feel sharp pain, stop that exercise and try a different one or reduce the resistance significantly.
Dizziness or lightheadedness requires stopping. Sit quietly and breathe normally until it passes. This can happen if you hold your breath during exercises or stand up too quickly after training. If it happens repeatedly, mention it to your doctor.
Numbness or tingling in your hands or arms signals a problem. This might indicate nerve compression or circulatory issues. Stop the exercise and shake out your arms gently. If it persists or happens regularly, get it checked out.
Extreme fatigue that lasts more than a day or two suggests you’re training too hard. Muscles should feel worked but not completely exhausted. If you’re wiped out for days after sessions, reduce the number of sets or exercises you’re doing.
Listen to your body’s warnings. Discomfort during an exercise is normal. Pain is not. Your body knows the difference. Trust those signals. Pushing through pain creates injuries that could sideline you for months.
Modify exercises if they consistently cause discomfort. Reduce the range of motion, use less resistance or try a variation. For example, if overhead presses bother your shoulders, press to just above head height instead of full extension. Getting stronger in a reduced range is better than not training at all.
Stay hydrated throughout the session. Dehydration affects joint lubrication and increases injury risk. Keep water nearby and sip between sets.
If you have existing health conditions or take medications, check with your doctor before starting. This is especially important if you have heart conditions, uncontrolled high blood pressure, recent surgeries or severe arthritis.
Equipment You’ll Need
The only thing that is really worth buying for home is a resistance band. A medium-strength band (the kind with handles) for around $10 is perfect. This one item can cover most of the exercises effectively. Check the bands are specifically for exercise (rather than therapy) as they are more durable.
Water bottles work perfectly well as light weights. A 500ml bottle weighs about a pound, and a litre bottle weighs about two pounds. Fill them to different levels to adjust the weight. They are easier to grip than dumbbells and free.
Tinned food makes excellent hand weights for exercises like lateral raises. A standard tin weighs around 400 grams (just under a pound). Stack two or three in a sock tied at the top if you need more weight.
A sturdy dining chair without arms is essential. The back should be solid enough to support a resistance band without tipping. Test your chair’s stability before using it. Sit down and shift your weight around to make sure it won’t slide or tip.
A long towel can substitute for a resistance band in rowing exercises. Loop it around your feet and hold both ends. It won’t provide as much resistance as a proper band, but it’s enough to build initial strength.
Books work as makeshift weights. Hardback books of different sizes give you various weights to work with. Stack them or use them individually depending on the exercise and your strength level.
Rice or pasta bags can serve as weights too. A one-kilogram bag weighs about 2.2 pounds. Perfect for exercises like overhead presses or lateral raises. They’re easy to grip and cheaper than dumbbells.
You don’t need a gym membership, expensive equipment or a dedicated workout space. These exercises work anywhere you can set up a chair. The kitchen, living room or bedroom are all fine. The lack of required equipment removes every excuse not to start.