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The holiday season is here, and with it comes the chaos—endless to-do lists, parties, travel, and, let’s be real, not enough hours in the day. But your self-care and weekly workouts don’t have to take a backseat during the busiest time of year. Enter: this 15-minute holiday strength training for longevity workout. It’s your secret weapon to staying strong, fit, and healthy, no matter how packed your schedule gets.
In just a quarter of an hour, you’ll build strength, boost energy, and set yourself up for a healthier, longer life. This sweat sesh is so quick, you can even sneak it in between wrapping presents. The best part? It’s bodyweight only, so you can do it anywhere—living room, hotel room, even your in-laws’ basement.
How strength training benefits longevity and aging well
Cardio gets all the hype for staying healthy, but the real secret to aging strong and thriving? Your muscles. Adults over 65 who strength trained two to six times a week lived longer—regardless of how much cardio they did, according to an October 2022 study in JAMA Network Open.
Why the longevity boost? Strength training improves muscle strength, balance, flexibility, bone density, brain health, and mood, while slashing your risk of injuries and chronic diseases, says Tatiana Lampa, CPT, a certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist.
Let’s take a closer look at each benefit:
1. It keeps your brain sharp
Strength training isn’t just for your muscles—it’s a workout for your brain too. In fact, older adults with stronger muscles are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment, according to the National Institute on Aging. Put simply: Staying strong can help you stay sharp as you age and possibly prevent (or at least slow) cognitive decline.
2. It lifts your mood
Feeling down? Pump some iron. Strength training triggers the release of endorphins—your body’s natural mood boosters. Research shows it reduces anxiety, combats depression, and even improves brain function, especially in older adults, per Vail Health.
3. It maintains muscle and bone health
As we age, we naturally lose muscle mass and bone density—but strength training can slow that process. According to the Mayo Clinic, it strengthens bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis (a condition that makes bones more prone to break). Strength training also boosts metabolism, controls weight, and improves energy levels, helping you stay independent and active, according to UW Medicine.
4. It improves balance and prevents injuries
Strong muscles mean sturdier joints, better balance and mobility, and fewer falls, which all become especially important as you get older, according to the Mayo Clinic. In fact, one in four seniors stumbles every year, with falls being the number one cause of injuries—and even death—among people 65 and older, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The takeaway: With stronger muscles and joints, you’ll be less prone to injury, more mobile, and independent well into your golden years.
5. It lowers risk of chronic illness
Strength training guards against common chronic conditions that typically affect older folks, per UW Medicine:
- Heart disease: Strength training reduces body fat, lowers blood pressure, and improves cholesterol, all risk factors for heart disease.
- Diabetes: Strength training builds muscle that helps your body use blood sugar more effectively, cutting the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Arthritis: Strong muscles support joints, easing pain and stiffness.
6. It may reduce cancer risk
Resistance training might even help protect against certain cancers. A September 2019 paper in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found a connection between weightlifting and a lower risk of colon and kidney cancer. Other research suggests that strength training twice a week can reduce your chance of dying from cancer by 31 percent, according to the National Foundation for Cancer Research.
Pro Tip: For maximum benefits, pair strength training with cardio. The JAMA study (mentioned earlier) showed the best results came from combining both. If you’re serious about aging well, make room for both in your weekly routine.
The workout
Designed by Lampa, this 15-minute bodyweight strength routine hits all the major muscle groups, helping you build strength now and setting you up for smoother aging. Since the workout is equipment free, you can do it anywhere—in a hotel room, a cramped guest bedroom, or wherever you’re spending the holidays. And at 15 minutes, you can get in and out without missing too much of the seasonal fun.
How to do it: Perform each exercise for 45 seconds with 15 seconds break in between. Complete 3 rounds.
1. Dead bug
This core-strengthening move is easy on your spine, says Lampa. Core strength powers nearly everything you do—from climbing stairs to carrying your kiddo. Dead bugs also improve coordination by mimicking the opposite arm-leg motion we use when walking, she says.
- Lie on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and knees bent at 90 degrees with shins parallel to the floor.
- Engage your core to press your low back into the floor.
- Slowly extend your left leg and lower your foot toward the floor while simultaneously lowering your right arm overhead.
- Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
- Continue alternating sides, keeping your movements slow and controlled.
2. Superhero pulldown
Low back pain affects millions (619 million globally in 2020 alone, per a June 2023 paper in The Lancet Rheumatology). Superman pulldowns are your back’s best friend, working your posterior chain (think glutes, hamstrings, and mid back) while improving posture and strengthening your mid back, Lampa says. A strong back means a pain-free, more mobile life.
- Lie facedown with your legs behind you and your arms in front of you.
- Engage your core, then lift your legs and upper body a few inches off the floor.
- Pull your arms down and squeeze your shoulder blades.
- Hold for 1-2 seconds, then extend your arms.
- Repeat.
3. Push-up
The ultimate full-body move. Push-ups work your chest, arms, shoulders, and core—essential for building strength now and for the long haul. They also boost athletic performance, giving you an edge whether you’re on the field or just tackling everyday tasks, Lampa says.
- Start in an all fours position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, hips stacked over knees.
- Engage your core, glutes, and step back one foot at a time to come into a high plank.
- Bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body and lower your torso to the floor.
- Keeping your body in one straight line, press into your palms and push the floor away from you to come back up to a high plank.
- Repeat.
Alternate option: Perform a modified push-up on your knees.
4. Reverse lunge (alternating sides)
“Reverse lunges help improve balance and stability and strengthen your quads, hamstrings, and glutes,” Lampa says. All are critical for healthy aging.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands clasped in front of your chest.
- Step your right foot back while simultaneously bending your left knee and lowering your hips, dropping into a lunge. Keep your torso straight and core engaged.
- Stop when your left knee is at a 90-degree angle and your left thigh is parallel to the floor.
- Pause slightly and press into your left heel, squeezing your glutes to stand up, while bringing your right leg back to the starting position.
- Repeat on the opposite leg.
- Continue alternating sides for the allotted amount of time.
5. Cossack squat
This underrated squat variation targets your inner and outer thighs while improving ankle and hip mobility, Lamps says. Bonus: This side-to-side move strengthens your body in the frontal plane—a direction we rarely train in, she says. Incorporating this movement reduces injury risk and enhances overall mobility.
- Stand with your feet wide, toes slightly turned out.
- Shift your weight to the left side, bending your left knee deeply while keeping your right leg extended.
- Sit your hips backward and lower as far as possible, focusing on engaging the outer hip and abductor.
- Push through your bent leg to return to standing, then repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep.
- Repeat, continuing to alternate sides.