By Confitex Men's Health & Wellness Ambassador Tony Marsh

There’s no escaping the fact that our bodies change as we age. When you’re young it’s all about pushing your body as hard as you can. When you get a bit older you can still push yourself but sometimes it’s more about listening to your body.

As a professional athlete I’ve worked my body pretty hard over the years. Now I’ve retired from international rugby I still work out and stay fit, but I can’t do what I used to do – so it’s about finding a balance.  

Whether you’re just starting a workout routine or you’ve been active for years, knowing the best exercises for men over 50 can keep you on track and help you reach your health goals faster.

Doing a full-body workout two to three times a week is an effective way to slow down the aging process and maintain muscle mass. Combine this with a brisk walk or a gentle run once or twice a week and you’ll have all your bases covered.  

When building a routine, include exercises for each of the major muscle groups – legs, glutes, chest, back, shoulders and core muscles. Here’s a good place to start:

These pelvic floor contractions will help strengthen this area, helping prevent stress incontinence that often creeps up as we age.

Pro tip: If you experience

bladder leakage

, try to do these exercises three times a day to strengthen your pelvic floor. You can do them anytime – in the car, on the couch or in bed.

What you’re working: Your ankle, knee and hip joints are working, along with your quad and glute muscles. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles for a lot of common daily movements, such as walking, running or stepping up onto a ladder.

Pro tips: Your front heel should always stay on the ground. You may want to hold on to a table or wall to help with your balance.

What you’re working: Press-ups work your chest and tricep muscles to help build good upper body strength.

Pro tips: Keep your eyes looking at the ground a foot in front of you so that your head stays in a straight line. Start on your knees if you need to.

What you’re working: Bridges work your glutes and hamstring muscles. The glutes are the biggest muscles in the body so it’s important to keep these firing and doing their job so the smaller muscles aren’t overloaded, which could result in injury.

Pro tip: Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement and hold for 1-2 seconds.

What you’re working: During this exercise your ankle, knee and hip joints are working, along with your quad and glute muscles – all important to everyday fundamental movements, such as sitting, standing and bending down.

Pro tip: If you can, have your arms at your side, but you may need them out in front to help balance yourself.