The 8 Best Exercises for Men to Stay Fit After 40

Squats:

Essential for leg strength, balance, and mobility, squats also contribute to bone health by working various muscle groups such as quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and core.

Lunges:

Improve lower-body strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination by targeting quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calf muscles. Proper form involves stepping forward.

Planks:

Excellent for core stability and overall strength, planks engage muscles including abdominals, obliques, lower back, shoulders, and chest.

Deadlifts:

Vital for overall strength, particularly in the back and legs, deadlifts target glutes, hamstrings, lower back, traps, and forearms. Proper form involves standing with feet shoulder-width apart and lifting a barbell with a straight back.

Pull-ups:

Effective for upper-body strength, pull-ups engage muscles in the back, biceps, and shoulders. Perform by gripping a pull-up bar with hands wider than shoulder-width and retracting shoulder blades while pulling up.

Dumbbell Shoulder Presses:

Target shoulders, triceps, and upper chest for maintaining shoulder health and strength. Perform seated on a bench with back support and pressing dumbbells overhead.

Barbell Rows:

Strengthen the back and biceps while improving posture by engaging muscles including latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, traps, and biceps. Perform by bending at the hips and knees, grasping the barbell.

Glute Bridges:

Promote lower back and hip health by working the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Perform by lying on the back with knees bent, lifting hips toward the ceiling, and squeezing the glutes at the top position.